


A restless heart

by Myriath



Series: Finding Home [1]
Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types
Genre: Alexios can't get over his ex, Alkibiades is apparently a good listener, Angst, Broken Heart, F/M, Facing the past, Family Issues, Fluff and Angst, Hurt, Ignoring all DLC and mythical stuff, M/M, Post-Canon, The guys should really sit down and talk, crew of ex-lovers, occasional ONS, sex implied, talking about feelings, thalexios, there could be spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-08-20
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:02:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 37,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25207405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Myriath/pseuds/Myriath
Summary: Finally, Alexios had everything he ever wanted. He got his house back and the family has united again, he even got a brother on top. But something didn't feel right.There was still a cult to kill. Islands had to be sailed and one specific island had to be avoided.---I went a bit with the game as it felt right for me. Dialogues from chapter 1-3 could (partially) feel familiar.---Note: My first fanfic and not beta read, because no risk, no fun. ;)Please cut me some slack. Quality might increase over time – hopefully.
Relationships: Alexios (Assassin's Creed)/Alkibiades | Alcibiades (c. 450-404 BCE), Alexios/Thaletas (Assassin's Creed)
Series: Finding Home [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1903528
Comments: 55
Kudos: 42





	1. Home sweet home?

There they were. Sitting together at the table in his childhood home, having dinner. It was more than Alexios ever had dreamed of. Both of his parents, his sister, even an additional brother with whom he wasn't sure if he even wanted him.   
‘Sometimes the face we show to the world needs to be one of strength, despite the chaos we harbor beneath.' He heard the voice of his mater, but it somehow felt distant to him. His body was there in the room, but it felt like his mind tried to escape at every given opportunity.  
'There is more to being the best than pure strength', his father added. Words of a general who had faced many dangers that required more than physical capability. And also words of a broken Spartan.   
He felt his father's look on him as he said those words. The man tried to be nice, that was for sure. Every word, every look was carefully chosen, like he was afraid his son was some kind of Athenian pottery. Easily broken if not handled carefully.  
'That's an excuse for the weak!' Deimos replied immediately. Obviously upset by the words.  
He rolled his eyes. This creature was definitely not his sister and he wasn't sure if it ever would be.   
On the other side of the table, his additional sibling stood up. It didn't surprise him that Stentor picked on her reply. He wasn't sure if he took offense on his set or if he just couldn't stand it that someone challenged the words of the Wolf.  
'I'll show you who is weak!'  
Certainly Spartan.  
Deimos accepted the challenge immediately and the two began to wrestle next to the table. It wouldn't surprise him if one of them ended up dead before the middle of the night.   
He glanced at his mother with an uncertain smile. The family has united again as she wished, but was she happy with the outcome? In his eyes, this was nothing near a family and more a bunch of people who didn't know what to do with each other. And from the gesture that his father made he agreed with him.  
'Well, at least the family is all together.' Myrinne said with the calm smile of a mother. She seemed to feel the same way as he did but also sure that it would change one day.  
Alexios gulped. Would they really become a family one day? All these years his only goal was to bring them back together. To reunite the family he once had. And now he wasn't sure if this was right.   
He was happy to have his parents back and he even liked Stentor in some way. But his sister? He even couldn't use her name without feeling his stomach ache. Whatever he brought back home was not Kassandra and if it wasn't for Myrinne he would have gladly thrown her from Mount Taygetos again. This monster has killed everyone he considered family before. His best friend Brasidas impaled without batting an eye. And Phoibe. Even if she didn't kill her directly it was her fault that he lost the girl he cared for like she was his daughter or kind of. And now he was supposed to call her family. To love her like the baby that he tried to rescue once.  
Somehow had to smile as he stood up. 'I'll get more wine' he said and shook his head. This family would certainly never be boring.

The sun colored the city of Sparta in divine gold as Alexios stepped outside the next morning. He barely slept in the men's chamber and it wasn't for his _paters_ snoring. What was he supposed to do now as he had everything he ever wanted? Should he settle down, join the spartan army and marry a woman who would gift him with healthy sons? Surely that was what his parents expected of him or at least hoped he would do. But it didn't feel right.  
All of his life he spent his time unbound. Following whichever path he liked to follow. Even on Kephallonia, he felt freer than he would ever feel in Sparta. Everyone seemed to watch him closely. The traitor who was sentenced to death and dared to survive. Who then claimed his citizenship and his house back. The son of the Wolf of Sparta and the grandchild of the legendary king Leonidas. He would never be free.  
Maybe there would be the day when he was ready to settle. But not now.  
He watched as soldiers in spartan armor passed the house. Their backs straight and their bodies trained for war. Alexios felt a sting in his heart, but he shook his head and waved his hand to push the painful memory aside. There was no way he could stay here. Living in Sparta would mean keeping watch to never cross paths with the past.  
He spotted a familiar figure and had to smile. Barnabas stood between to pillars watching the city waking. This man was more home than this city would ever be to him. He slowly approached him and found his place at his left as they would stand at the Adrestia.  
Barnabas slowly turned and opened his arms as he heard his friend arrive.  
'Well, that wasn't so bad, was it?' The old man asked cheerfully.  
'I can't believe I have family again', he replied. And he meant it. He really couldn't believe the achieved everything he wanted successfully. Barnabas would surely considers this a plan of the gods.  
'The gods work in mysterious ways!' He replied as if he could read his thoughts. ' You never know what they have planned.'  
'I don't think the gods can take credit for this one, Barbabas.' Alexios replied.   
'An urn is only as strong as its potter, Alexios.'  
'Urns are pretty easy to break.'  
He couldn't stop teasing Barnabas, even if he wanted to. They both knew it and they both always enjoyed their conversations as they were.   
'Just remember', Barnabas suddenly said. 'No matter who surrounds you, I'll be there! And the others are waiting for us on the ship.'  
The old man must have sensed his feelings about staying in Sparta. If there was anyone in this world who knew Alexios better than he did himself, it was him. He had to leave. The cult was still there and not less threatening even if Deimos had left it. They would find another fool dumb enough to believe they were some kind of chosen one. Anyhow special and better than anyone else in this world.  
He had to prevent that at any cost.  
He nodded. 'Right behind you.'  
Barnabas left, obviously relieved to know that Alexios would follow.

It was surprisingly easy to convince his family that he had to go. Maybe they already knew that they couldn't keep him in Sparta and it was clear that Nikolaos would never do anything that could make him lose his son again.   
Myrinne stepped close to him, cupped his face in her rough hands, and pressed her forehead against his.  
'Be careful, lamb.' She said in a wistful tone. 'And always remember that your family is waiting for you to return.'  
'I will' he replied.   
He embraced her tightly bevor he turned to leave.   
'You go?' Dei– _Kassandra_ asked as she returned from wherever she spent the morning.  
'There is some mess I have to take care of', he said not sure if he meant the cult or his own life. 'Make _mater_ not regret I spared your life.'  
She opened her mouth for a reply, but instead, she just nodded.  
He stepped out of the door and found Stentor sitting in front of the house, sharpening his sword.  
'You may be a Spartan by birth, but you are not by heart.' He didn't look up from his sword.  
'I'll take it as a compliment, little brother.' Alexios replied and couldn't resist ruffling his new brother's hair.  
Stentor snorted a sniff as a reply. He really started to like this guy.  
Maybe I should make an offering to Athena Chalkioikos before I leave, he thought to himself. This family definitely needs her blessing and her wisdom.

As he left the temple he heard the voices of someone arguing about something. The voices were female, one sounded older than the other. Perhaps mother and daughter. He tried to ignore them, but he couldn't help to approach the women.  
'Oh Hera and Aphrodite, please grant my daughter the virtue of obedience.'  
Alexios chuckled. It seemed like his family wasn't the only complicated in this city.  
'Eagle Bearer', the woman called as she spotted him nearby. 'You bless this temple with your presence. If I may ask, I'm having a little problem.'  
'I'm not a problem!' The young woman snapped at her. Unmistakably mother and daughter. 'I'm a Spartan you keep at home supervising farmers while I could be out in the world finding adventure. You give my brothers the chance to explore, why not me?'  
He had to suppress a grin. This woman had temperament.  
'An explorer, are you?' He decided to reply.  
'So you're the Eagle Bearer everyone's been talking about. I hope you live up to your reputation. I'm Zopheras.' The younger woman introduced herself.  
Before she could continue with whatever she wanted to ask of him, her mother intervened. 'Could you please educate my daughter to behave as a Spartan woman should?'  
With every word the mother said, the less he liked her. Usually, he would leave them alone, but somehow he felt the urgent need to help Zopheras. She was a likeminded soul, not made to be held captive at one place.  
Suddenly he had an idea. 'If both you and Zopheras agree, I'll train your daughter to be a fine Spartan. Beginning with her physical strength, of course. It's the only way she can keep your household safe and prosperous.'   
Zopheras' eyes lit up. She is pretty and smart, he thought.  
'The Eagle Bearer is right, mater. Spartan women must be strong.'  
'You can call me Alexios', he replied smiling.   
The mother certainly was not convinced, but she decided to trust him. 'I suppose if the Eagle Bearer says it... All right. Train my daughter as you see fit.' Then she left both of them alone. Probably to pray to the gods she didn't make a mistake trusting him. But this time the gods wouldn't answer, he was sure.  
'Let's begin your training with running. Try to keep up.'   
'But Spartans never run! Only cowards do. Why should I train in running?' Zopheras replied, not sure if it was wrong to ask him for help.  
Alexios hesitated for a second. The way Zopheras looked at him was exciting. Maybe Sparta had more to offer than it seemed. 'Strong legs mean you'll thrust your _spear_ with more force.'  
'And yours do seem very strong.' She replied alluringly. They certainly spoke the same language.  
'Let's race through the theater to the entrance of the _Dromos_. Last one there's a wounded goat', he said like he meant business. And before he could even blink, Zopheras started to run.  
She was fast, faster than he was in his armor. But he never said they had to take the roads. With a broad grin, he took a shortcut through the theater which turned out as the advantage he needed.   
'Glad you could make it.' He said as she finally reached the _Dromos_.  
'I'll get you next time!'  
She could handle a defeat and Alexios liked it. It was a turn-off when the other was a bad loser.   
'Now, we'll race horses', he proposed as he spotted two animals next to them. 'But not like they do in athletic games. We'll make our own course.'  
'Horses? Why should I bother with those filthy beasts? We have _helots_ for that.' Zopheras still seemed not to get what he was trying to teach her. It was right of her mother not to let her travel on her own. She would be dead in less than a day.  
'Horses are beasts of muscle and power. You'll never understand until you hold one between your thighs.' He tried to sound casual, but it was obvious that he meant it suggestive.  
'Well, when you put it that way...' She looked him up and down and stopped slightly above the mentioned body part, 'ride on.'  
'Let's race to the bridge south of Sparta.' He hesitated. It was definitely wrong to continue what he seemed to have in mind, but it was too late to step back. 'Ready, go!'  
They ran towards the horses and began the race. His horse was strong and fast, but nothing in comparison to Phobos.   
It was a tight win. Zopheras was a fast learner, he supposed.  
'And that's how you master a beast', he said with wide gestures.  
'That was more speed than mastery.' Her tongue was sharp. Alexios began to wonder what else she was capable to do with it.   
'How are my lessons so far, Zopheras?'  
'Not bad...' She replied and let her gaze wander across his body. 'But why did you decide to teach me anyway? Don't you have more exciting things to do? Treasures to find, tyrants to depose?'  
She was flirting with him that was as obvious as it could be.  
'The secret is, by teaching a skill to someone else, you're also improving your own _technique_. That's the only way you'll both reach peak performance.' That was true. It didn't matter if fight or love you could always improve by getting taught by someone more experienced.   
'You'll have to show me your _technique_ ' she replied with a hungry expression in her eyes. It was time to give her the lead. She would definitely know where to find a more private space.  
'Do you have a suggestion for our next bit of training?'  
'There's a place I've found in the southern hills with a wonderful view... Will you go there with me?'  
He scanned her body with his eyes. She was not the most attractive woman he had ever met, but something was exciting about her.   
'I like the view already.' He knew he didn't need to be this direct, but he wanted to make sure she understood what he was up to. 'But let's go.'  
They mounted the horses again when Ikaros screeched from above. That bird always made sure he didn't forget him.  
'So, does that bird follow you everywhere?' Zopehras asked out of curiosity.  
'Ikaros? Yes, he likes to keep an eye on me. Are you jealous?' He said with a laugh. The eagle had seen more than he wanted him to and he was glad he couldn't tell anyone about some of the embarrassing encounters he also had.  
'If you don't mind being watched, I don't either.' Zopheras was definitely exciting. She turned away from the road before she continued. 'Did Zeus give you any special powers? You know, Achilles got invulnerability, Herakles the strength of a god...'  
'If you know the old stories, you know what Zeus is especially good at.'  
'If you have that kind of talent, just call me Pandora.'  
Alexios felt the space in his _perizoma_ getting tighter with every word they exchanged. Was this forest not private enough? He had the urgent desire to stop and get rid of their clothes immediately. Or leave the clothes on. He didn't care as long as it happened soon.  
But Zopheras didn't stop. They left the forest behind them and climbed a small hill until they reached a single cherry blossom. They were not far from a road, but no one took a look in their direction. In the far, you could see Sparta, guarded by the mountains of Taygetos.  
'Beautiful, isn't it?' Zopheras asked absentminded.  
'Absolutely.'  
Then she suddenly turned to him. 'I think I'm beginning to understand you, Alexios.'  
'Are you?' He asked curiously and continued with a deep voice. 'Tell me, who do you think I am?'  
'You answer my questions with such passion and authority. You like being in charge, don't you?'   
And you like to follow orders, he thought. He stepped closer to close the distance between them. 'You may be right. But really, why did you bring me out here?'  
'I thought we could continue with some more intensive training, Alexios. If you've got some energy left.'   
She knew how to find the right words. His body was aching for her. He wanted to know how she felt.  
'Well then, let's begin our advanced lessons', he said as he leaned in to kiss her.

'So, do you plan to become a good spartan wife or do you want to travel the world?' Alexios asked breathlessly. Whoever would win her heart was a lucky guy, he thought.   
'You taught me the pleasures of being free, Alexios.' She replied. 'There is no way for me to going back.'  
Slowly they began to get dressed again. The traces on their tunics would be obvious for everyone to see, but in the heat of the moment, there was no holding back.   
'Here', he held his dagger out to her to take.   
Zopheras looked at him confused.  
He continued. 'You will need it when you join my crew.'  
She raised her eyebrows. 'Your crew?'  
'If you don't want to see the world …' He stretched the words and tried to hide a grin. There was no way she would refuse his offer.  
'I could need a ship out of here' she answered and took the dagger. 'But won't you need this?'  
He waved his hand as he started to grin. 'I have plenty of these to spare.' Then the added quickly. 'I'm not the guy to settle down on one dagger and keep it for the rest of my life.'  
Better make this clear early before she misunderstood his offer.  
'We are likeminded', she replied with a grin. 'I like to change _tools_ if I get bored with them.'  
They both started to laugh. It felt good to have someone by his side who understood his way of thinking.  
'The _Adrestia_ waits for us at the port in Gytheion. We shouldn't keep her waiting.'  
'Better be quick before my _mater_ finds us.' Zopheras replied and mounted her horse.  
'She would send us to Tartaros, I assume.' Alexios said as he followed her example and begin to ride towards their goal.  
'Worse' Zopheras said with a laugh. 'She would force us into marriage and living a well-behaved life.'

'I began to wonder what took you so long, commander' Barnabas shouted at him as Alexios stepped on his ship.   
He patted his friend at the shoulder. 'I just recruited a new crew member. You said I should keep my eyes open for them.'  
Then he turned and went to Odessa who looked at him with a raised eyebrow.  
'Still the same man I met in Kephallonia!' She said to him knowingly with a grin across her face.  
'Couldn't change me, if I wanted to.' He said to her. 'I hoped you would introduce her to sailing.'  
'I will.' She nodded and went to rescue Zopheras from Barnabas who couldn't miss an opportunity to meet a potential listener to his stories.  
Alexios sighed as he took a final look back to the direction he came from. He still felt guilty, but it was the right thing to do. Sparta wasn't his home. The _Adrestia_ was.


	2. Setting sails!

'Where are we heading to?' Barnabas asked as they reached the open waters.  
'As far away from Sparta as we can.' Alexios replied, shouting against the wind.  
'Athens?' The one-eyed asked.  
'No one knows me better than you.' He laughed while his friend shouted orders towards the crew.  
It felt good to be at sea again. No, good was wrong. It felt great. The air was salty and the sun burned without mercy. There was no better sign of true freedom.  
He leaned with his forearms on the rail and closed his eyes. Hearing the sound of aching wood and waves breaking against the sides of the ship made him feel home. He took a deep breath. How could he ever consider living in a house far away from the sea? It was as Barnabas said to him once, he was a sailor.  
He patted the wood absentminded.  
'How long would the delay be if we stopped at Melos island?' he asked glancing at the figure bending over the rail facing the waves.  
'It depends on the jobs you will take there.' Barnabas replied, laughing one of his warm laughs.  
'I promised a friend to take part in the Battle of One Hundred Hands.'  
'Ah – you plan to fight the _Hekatonchires_? You have to be careful. Each has fifty heads and a hundred hands. I once met a sailor who lost his ship to them. The entire crew died.'  
Alexios slapped his friend on the back and laughed. 'I doubt I will meet any divine creature.'  
'When you face them, you will start to believe.' Barnabas shook his head joyfully and shouted commands towards the crew.  
Warmth filled his heart and he felt his muscles relaxing. What would his _mater_ say if she could see him standing here? Would she be disappointed that he preferred his crew over his family? Or that he was relieved he could escape his sister? He shook his head. No, he couldn't allow these thoughts to cloud his head.

It was way beyond sunset when they arrived at the port of Melos. But despite the late hour, the city was still full of life. Alexios stepped ashore and felt the steady ground under his feet. He closed his eyes, stretched, and took a deep breath. Would he ever get used to the change of ground? He could still feel the wavering of the planks as he moved towards the agora.   
'Warriors! Heroes! Mercenaries of all types. Sign up here for the Battle of One Hundred Hands.' Alexios looked up for attention. A man was standing in front of a crowd. Shouting those words in excitement. 'Would you like to be rich? Are you the next Champion? You, _misthios_!' He pointed in his direction. 'You look like a true contender.'  
He approached, leaving the whispering crowd behind him.  
'I met Roxana on Hydrea.' He said. 'She says you're the one to talk to about entering the battle on Melos.'  
'Indeed I am.' The man replied. 'My name's Drakios.'  
'Alexios.' He introduced himself. 'I'm interested in competing in this... What did you call it?'  
'The Battle of One Hundred Hands draws warriors from all corners of the Greek world to compete for a large purse. But as competitions go, it's also very deadly—a last person standing type of affair.' Drakios seemed truly excited about this deadly tournament.  
Alexios shook his head. He wasn't sure if participating would be a good idea, but he promised Roxana to be here and let her dream come true.  
'I do my best work in the shadows. Not sure how I'd fare on an open battlefield...' He said. Maybe he should have introduced himself more impressive, but has never been the type to exaggerate. Not when it came to who he was.  
Drakios seemed to ponder. 'It's true that only the best-trained have a hope of glory in the Battle of One Hundred Hands.'  
'I make no promises.'  
He thought of leaving the island. The more he thought about this battle the more it sounded like a stupid idea.  
'If you join the Battle, you'll have the chance to prove your mettle against the best. And because the Battle is backed by the most powerful and influential people in the Greek world, the purse is always growing.'  
Now he had his attention. _The most powerful and influential people in the Greek world_ …  
'If you mean the people I think you mean, then I would like to meet them and... have a few words.' He said, his eyes focused on his counterpart.  
'Indeed. They are the kind of people I would never speak about openly.' Drakios winked at him. 'You know, you do look like someone I've met before, another fierce warrior. Family resemblance, perhaps?'  
It was obvious who he meant.   
'You mean _Deimos_?' Alexios asked openly. He had nothing to lose. Their strongest weapon had left them wounded. She was the only one he ever truly feared. 'Then this Battle is backed by the Cult.'  
'Of course I can't talk about that. Not with any old challenger. But become the Champion of the Battle of One Hundred Hands, and I'll tell you all I know.'  
That was very likely the most complicated way to say 'yes', but he understood the message.  
'I want to fight in the Battle.'  
'I thought you might. The only rule is that every competitor must train with another competitor, and they must vouch for each other.'  
Alexios rolled his eyes. Didn't he just say he had someone vouching for him?  
'I've already met Roxana on Hydrea', he repeated slowly what he said before.  
'So I've heard.' Alexios felt the urgent desire to place his fist on the man's nose. I told you so, he thought. But the man continued. 'She was going to be my top recommendation as she's amongst our highest-ranked contenders. If you can train with her, then there is certainly a place for you in the Battle.'  
'I'm ready to compete.' Hopefully, the tone of his voice made clear that was close to losing his temper.   
'Indeed. Roxana tells me your training went well. Meet me inside the city gates. The Battle will begin soon.' Drakios finally said and left his reach as fast as he could.  
'Thank the gods – _Malákas_ ', Alexios murmured to himself. If he had to listen to this man a second longer it one of them would surely have died.  
He quickly followed the man to the city gates. He led him to a place he could ever have dreamed of. It was a place for nightmares. Spartans, Athenians, mercenaries, farmers – people of all kinds were preparing for facing death. The air was filled with prayers and last words.  
'Ah, the _misthios_ arrives. Then we can begin.' Drakios said with an evil glance in his eyes. There was not a single likable thing about this man.

Alexios gathered amongst the other participants and gratulated himself for another stupid idea he had. First the arena, now a senseless slaughter. Why couldn't he be of Athenian descendent? He would be drinking lots of wine and talking complicated sentences that gave people headaches. But no, he was traveling from bloodshed to bloodshed. Stupid Spartan blood.  
He heard Drakios shouting nonsense about the glory of the Battle, but he didn't even try to listen. Instead, he let his view wander.  
Finally, he found what he was looking for. Roxana was standing amongst the other participants, already glancing at him. He remembered the day they spent at Hydrea. Training together, running, killing wolves. It was the perfect mixture of fight and flirt he enjoyed the most. Not to speak of the night they shared…. He could already feel himself getting hard by the memory of it. They were laughing, fucking, talking – all at the same time. She was one of the most memorable encounters he ever had.  
'Remember that horn!' Drakios voice broke through his thoughts and brought him back to the soon-to-be battlefield. 'You'll hear it throughout the Battle, marking your progress. Now fight!'  
The slaughter began before his voice faded. He wasn't even five seconds into the Battle when he counted his first kill. What a waste of lives, he thought to himself, as he cut another throat. But he had no choice. If he wouldn't kill those people they would kill him. And given their weapons, it would clearly be s slow and painful death.  
Minutes later he heard the first horn. The first quarter of participants had already died for nothing. He shook his head. Even war made more sense than this.  
He traveled the island that was covered in bodies. Occasionally killing a man or two he searched for the woman he came for. He sent a quiet prayer to Ares to guide her sword. Roxana didn't deserve to lie slaughtered in the smelly sulfur pit. She didn't deserve to lie anywhere slaughtered.  
The second horn sounded. Half of the men had gone. Alexios turned and faced the mountain. Maybe she would be there. He kept continuing his way, killing everyone on the way. The opponents became stronger it seemed, but it was only that the weak were dead now. A group of three ran towards him, attacking together.  
'I thought this was every fighter for himself. These people are clearly working together', he murmured to himself. Then he made short work of them.  
The final horn sounded and told them that the Battle was nearly over. He decided to return to that _malákas_ Drakios. If Roxana was still alive, he would meet her there.  
The path led him over countless bodies. He was drenched in blood as the whole island was. Why would someone want to participate in this nonsense? There was no glory in slaughter, only grief, and guilt. He could only imagine the might of all these warriors aligned against the Cult ….  
As he approached the gates he could hear the slop claps of Drakios. The expression on his face was smug, the smile praised himself more than anyone else. Alexios felt the adrenaline rushing through his veins as watched this bastard. Every fiber in his body wanted his death.  
'Is there a final challenger?' He asked instead.  
'Indeed there is! Patience, Alexios, patience.'  
It would be a quick climb up the wall. A clean cut through his throat and it was over. There were not many people left who could stop him.  
'Tell me, Drakios! Is it Roxana? Is she alive?' He tried to make his voice sound strong, but the worry cam through.  
Drakios didn't seem to give a shit about his question. Instead he shouted: 'Your final challenger approaches.'  
And there she came. Her beautiful body covered in blood. Every movement showed her strength. She looked at him, relief in her eyes. Was she happy he had survived?  
'Come! We will finish this in the shadow of the volcano in the east.' Drakios said. How pathetic.

He didn't expect ruins of a temple next to a volcano, but it didn't surprise him either. It was indeed a great setting for a final. Alexios felt the heat from the ground below him.  
'It seems like the training has paid off', he said to Roxana casually.  
'I was about to say the same.'  
His heart grew heavy. It would be such a wast to kill someone like her.  
'Enough chatter!' Drakios interrupted. The man who always asked for patience had no himself. 'Our patrons demand a champion. Finish this!'  
Roxana's eyes went sad. 'There's no escaping our fate, _misthios_.'  
No, that wasn't right. There had to be another way to end this day. Before he could think of a plan he heard his own voice. 'We can lay down our weapons. There's nothing more to prove.'  
'This is outrageous.' Drakios clearly didn't like this thought. 'Roxana – only one of you can win the Battle and become champion.'  
_Maláka_. 'We don't have to kill each other.'  
'Think of the riches, Roxana.' Drakios continued. 'Indeed, everything you've dreamed of is almost within your grasp.'  
Why was he so desperate for either of them to die? 'We can walk away.'  
'Only one of you can walk away a legend.'  
'The stakes were clear from the beginning, Alexios.' Roxana's voice was trembling. 'Don't do this. I'm so close –'  
'Enough!' The face of Drakios was as red as the blood on Alexios hands. 'The Battle must end now!'  
'No. Roxana, we decide how this ends. Not him.' His voice was desperate. He didn't want to kill another friend for _sports_. Skoura had lived his life. He was to war, he was the champion of the arena, he had a family. But Roxana was young. Her whole life was still to come.  
'I'm beginning to think there are things more important than riches and glory.' She said carefully and Alexios felt his hurt burst in relief.  
'Join me on my ship', he said. 'There are more adventures for us out on the Aegean.'  
A smile flitted over his face as he thought about what Barnabas would say about this situation. Another acquaintance to join his crew.  
'I will! I will join you!' She was clearly happy.  
But Drakios wasn't. 'No! You must finish the battle!'  
Alexios turned and drew his spear. He could feel the adrenalin rushing through his body and sharpening his thoughts. His eyes wandered over Drakios body. The way he stood, the way he moved – everything told him about the strengths and weaknesses of this man. He wore his hair in a braid, as the Spartan did and the muscles in his body were ready for fight. This man wouldn't be an easy kill, now that he was angry. But he also wasn't a real threat. All Alexios had to be careful of, was not to get a new scar from him. He would rather share a room with his sister than being reminded of this annoyance.  
'It's over, Drakios!' He spat the words out. This man was already dead.  
But Drakios only shook his head. Fire lightened in his eyes and he couldn't deny his Spartan origin any longer. 'It's over when I say it's over. Guards!'  
Two scions of the Cult of Cosmos joined his side. Probably well-trained soldiers as any of them were. Ready to die. But they didn't have a chance. Alexios already survived larger groups of them and this time he had Roxana fighting by his side. They made a great team – not as great as him and Brasidas, but it was close. He felt like dancing a macabre dance of death.   
'Rule number one!' he shouted, as he approached the man on the left. A grin spread across his face. 'No shield!'  
He grabbed the metal plate and with a quick tug, he tore it from him before he smashed it into his face. Those men really relied too much on this presumed protection. Without it they were weak. He kicked the man on the ground and rammed the spear into his neck. When he glanced at Roxana he saw that she already killed the other one and faced Drakios. He definitely underestimated her.  
Drakios was tough, but he didn't last long. Spartans weren't made for fighting alone.  
'Thank you, champion.' Roxana said with a broad smile.  
'So, I'll see you at my ship?'  
'Yes.' He could see the hunger for adventure in her eyes. 'I'm ready to go wherever the sea wind takes us.'  
'Wherever it is, adventure awaits.' He promised her. 'For both of us, now.'  
Then he knelt over the knelt body and began to search his cloth. There had to be a hint somewhere. But Drakios remained a bastard even in his death. There was no clue to find.  
' _Maláka_!' Alexios swore.  
'What's wrong?' Roxana asked, giving him a skeptical look.  
'The man belonged to the so-called Cult of Cosmos. A bunch of pathetic idiots infiltrating the whole greek world, only working for their own profit.' He spat on the corpse. 'They destroyed my family.'  
He sat down at the place where the altar must have been. Roxana joined his side, taking his hand. 'Sounds awful' she said, brushing the back of it with her thumb.  
Alexios took a deep breath and gave her a short summary of his life. Each time he told it, it got harder to believe it was true. When he reached the end he looked at the woman beneath him. Her mouth was open and it was no secret that she was still indecisive whether to believe him or not.  
'And I thought my life was tough', she finally said.  
Alexios shrugged, then smiled.   
'We shouldn't keep Barnabas waiting.' He stood up and reached out to help her up. 'He might already wonder if I died.'

'Good to have you back, commander!' Barnabas shouted when they boarded the ship. Then he raised an eyebrow asking. 'Another member to join our crew?'  
Alexios laughed. 'She's a strong fighter. I'm glad she didn't kill me.' From the corners of his eyes, he saw Herodotos shaking his head. 'What?'  
He turned around to introduce Roxana to the crew, but it seemed someone else had the same idea.  
'Welcome to the crew of Alexios' ex-lovers!' Odessa said with a laugh and slapped Roxana on the shoulder. Then she winked at him. 'Is this going to be a habit?'  
He felt the blood rushing to his face. Odessa, Zopheras, now Roxana – she had a point.  
He wrapped his arms around the women's shoulders and said with his most charming smile: 'It's important that the crew is close to each other.'  
'You _are_ an idiot, Alexios!' Odessa said laughing and pushed him aside. Then she turned back to Roxana. 'Come, I introduce you to Zopheras. I'm sure you will get along.'  
Still laughing, Alexios climbed the stairs to the bridge.  
'Ready to set sail?' Barnabas asked.  
'As fast as we can', Alexios replied. 'And let's never come back to this island.'  
Barnabas raised his eyebrows and turned on him with an open gesture. 'Did something happen, commander? Last time I heard you say these words, you lost your heart on Myko–'  
'Never remind me of _that_ island again!' Alexios interrupted his friend. The blood in his veins began to boil as painful anger spread through his body. 'Never, or you will be fed to the sharks.'  
Barnabas shook his head with a sad smile and patted Alexios' shoulder. 'Athens then?' He asked like the conversation never happened.  
Alexios nodded, then smiled bitterly. 'Athens.'


	3. A night in Athens

Alexios clenched his teeth, his gaze fixed on the horizon.  
It has been two hours since they left Melos, but the anger was still raging inside of him. How long had he avoided the memories of the island? Weeks? Months? And now a thoughtless sentence brought back everything he had repressed. He didn't blame Barnabas for bringing up this sensitive subject, but he did blame himself for being so emotional about it.  
Every time he closed his eyes, he saw it again. The fight on the beach, the exchange of words on the shipwreck. The sparring, the kissing, the sex. The goodbye on the beach. The moment his hearts was torn in half.  
No! He shook his head. He shouldn't let thoughts enter his mind. It was years ago. He had to look ahead.  
Alexios felt something wet running down his cheek. A single tear, salty as the sea.  
'Pathetic Idiot!' He muttered.  
'New orders, commander?' Barnabas asked cautiously.  
He shook his head and wiped the tear away. 'No, we stick to the plan.'

At sunrise, they reached the port of Piraeus. While the rest of the city was just waking up, the first fishermen brought back their catch.  
'Welcome to Athens!' Alexios said to Zopheras who watched the going-on with her eyes and mouth wide open.  
'It is so different from Sparta.' She noted still overwhelmed.  
He couldn't help but laugh. 'It certainly is. And you still haven't met the people here.'  
'What do you mean?'  
He put his arm around her shoulder. 'Let's say they are a little more … talkative.' He smirked at her. 'Let them never involve you in an argument.'  
'How long do we plan to stay, commander?' Barnabas interrupted.  
'Long enough for you to visit your daughter.' Alexios replied. 'I'll send Ikaros.'  
The bird shrieked as if to make his opinion known.  
Barnabas broke out in laughter. 'Seems like he doesn't like to be made a messenger. The glorious eagle of Zeus sent to find an old man.'  
'He'll get over it.' Alexios gently stroked Ikaros over the head. 'Leda's farm is crawling with mice.'  
He raised his arm and the eagle took off into the air. 'You'll find me the Perikles' house.'  
With these words, he went ashore and left the _Adrestia_ to her crew. It felt good to be back in that city. After all this time he had spent here and all the experiences, it was more his home than Sparta could ever be. He knew every street and probably every tavern. And even though he did not like to admit it, it was here that he had the most interesting conversations.  
He followed the roads to the north of the city, past the temple of Hephaestus, to the northern city wall.

'So the rumors are true.' Said a familiar voice in his vicinity.  
'Demosthenes!' He struck his hand in greeting. 'The rumors must have spread quickly. The _Adrestia_ arrived moments ago.'  
'Athens is glad to have you back.' Said the other with a friendly nod. 'Do you plan to stay this time?'  
Alexios shook his head. 'I am not cut to stay anywhere but on my ship.'  
'They say you have your Spartan citizenship back.'  
'It makes my _mater_ happy.' He shrugged.  
'Family.' Demosthenes snorted with laughter. 'Athens citizenship would suit you better, student of Sokrates. But as long as you don't cause trouble, my men will leave you alone.'  
'Me? Trouble?' Alexios spread his arms and pointed at himself. 'Never!'  
'That's good to hear. I'll keep an eye on you.' He nodded at him and turned back to his men.  
Alexios could not wipe away a grin. Before he went towards the gates, he put his hand on the general's shoulder and whispered into his ear: 'I knew you were attracted to me.'  
Accompanied by some insults he continued on his way. Oh yes, he'd missed Athens.

Not far behind the city walls, there was the cemetery of Athens. It was impressive and no less opulent than the city itself. Slowly he let his gaze wander along with the tombs. It had taken him far too long to finally summon up the courage to visit this place. He felt the guilt growing inside him. Like a lump of heavy iron, it lay around his heart and pressed with all its strength. Phoibe had trusted him, but now she was dead. In every girl he met in the streets of the Greek world he saw her face, heard her laughter. He had been responsible for her, he should have protected her, but he had come too late. By now she would have been almost grown up and would probably have wrapped every young man around her finger.  
At that thought, he had to chuckle. He had certainly not been a good example for her.  
On the street in front of him, he recognized a familiar figure, dressed as always in a blue _himation_ , his attention directed towards a monument. With quick steps, he approached his friend and made the gravel crunch under his steps to announce himself.  
'Behold, I've kept myself alive.' Sokrates said, turning to the mercenary.  
Alexios supported his right hand on his hip and answered with sweeping gestures. 'It was the one job I gave you, Sokrates. I knew you could handle it.'  
'I would have attempted it even if you hadn't told me to.' He shook his head. How much had he missed the conversations, even though they usually resulted in headaches?  
'It's not as easy as it seems – staying alive.' He felt the sadness rise up again. 'There's not many of us left.'  
But Sokrates did not let himself be affected by it. He answered in an almost cheerful voice. 'Then let's pay tribute to them. Though they aren't here now, they were here once. Come with me.'  
Alexios followed Sokrates across the cemetery and got involved in a conversation about death and the fear of it. To his astonishment, it did not give him a headache. Death was his specialty, it seemed. Countless times he had faced it and was sure that this was his last breath. No, he was not afraid of his death.  
When they reached Phoibe's grave, they both fell silent. She had left far too soon. He swallowed his guilt. Should he have brought flowers? No, that would've just looked like pity, and if there was one thing she never liked, it was when he felt sorry for her. From a distance, he heard his own voice. They talked about Phoibe and what she meant to him, he thanked his friend for getting her the burial she deserved. They also talked about Perikles and who he was to them. And suddenly it was as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders. Phoibe was not alone in Elysium but had two great men at her side. A remarkable statesman and a magnificent warrior. Friends of his. Athens and Sparta united.  
'Apparently soldiers found Kleon on the beach. A casualty of war, perhaps?' The indirect question brought Alexios back to the moment. He shrugged, then smiled.  
'Couldn't say. It's hard to recall what happens in the heat of battle.' He said, not even trying to hide the lie.  
'Either way, let him spend his eternity in Tartarus for what he's done.' Sokrates answered knowingly. 'And be certain our friends wait for us in the light.'  
'I'd drink to that!' Alexios suggested plainly and unexpectedly made Sokrates fell silent.  
After a short pause, his friend began to smile and agreed on his suggestion. 'Who am I to say no?'

What began with a drink to the fallen, ended quickly in a humid happy evening with friends. It seemed like everyone was there – Sokrates, Aristophanes, Alkibiades, and even Hippokrates. They shared stories of their adventures and the more the stocks of wine dwindled, the more rambling the tales became. Alexios suddenly chuckled. He remembered the night of his first _symposium_ in Athens. Back then he thought that the people here were boring and didn't know how to properly celebrate – at least most of them. He cast a playful glance at the man diagonally opposite to him. Apparently, he was not as inconspicuous as expected, when his gaze was returned with a suggestively raised eyebrow. Alkibiades took some steps towards him and put his free hand on his shoulder.  
'Tell me, are symposia in Sparta anything like this?' He said in a low voice and stroked Alexios cheek with the back of his hand.  
'I doubt so.' He leaned into the touch and replied without taking his eyes off the other. 'Unfortunately, they never invite me, so I have to guess.'  
'These fools. They have no idea what they are missing.' Alkibiades said with a wink. Then he let go of him and crossed the room towards his sleeping chamber.  
'Simply incorrigible.' Aristophanes laughed as he approached Alexios.  
The Eagle Bearer raised an eyebrow in amusement. 'Are you alluding to him or me?'  
The young man chuckled. 'Both?'  
Alexios burst into laughter. 'That might be true.'  
Powerfully he slapped on the others' shoulder and followed in the direction of his best friend.

He was surprised not to find him in the sleeping chamber as expected. What was the philanderer up to this time? Aroused by wine and the prospect of a memorable night he set out in his search. He followed the stairs up to the top and found his target on his left, stretched out on cushions under the pergola.  
'It's a rather … public choice.' He said as he sat down beside Alkibiades.  
The blonde man grinned and let his fingers run up and down Alexios' thighs.  
'Don't you like it?', he feigned shyly and kissed the sensitive skin of the mercenary's neck.  
A silent moan escaped Alexios lips. 'You know I can't resist your offers. The more I try, the more you make it alluring.'  
'That's part of the game!' Alkibiades replied, sounding almost offended. He slapped his hand on the man's upper thigh and pushed his lower lip forward.  
'What have I done wrong now?' Alexios asked, visibly confused.  
'Nothing at all.'  
'Then?'  
Alkibiades shook his head. 'I have decided to remain chaste.'  
Alexios couldn't help but laugh out loud. 'You? Chaste? Rather a horse learns to fly!'  
'Well, mostly chaste.' Alkibiades' fingers started to wander again. 'At least to the public.'  
'Another political move of yours?' Alexios raised an eyebrow. He had absolutely no interest to be drawn into one of his intrigues again.  
'I wish it was.' Alkibiades said with a laugh. 'But no. It's just a simple wager.'  
'A … wager?' Alexios shook his head. That sounded clearly like something his best friend would do. 'What is it about?'  
'One week without sex. Unfortunately, you had to show up on the second night.' He sighed theatrically. 'But it will be worth it.' He leaned closer to Alexios' ear and started whispering some seriously nasty stuff.  
Alexios' eyes widened with every word. 'Is that even possible?' He asked in astonishment.  
'I will find out. And teach you, the next time we meet.' Alkibiades answered and put his hand in Alexios crotch as it was the most natural thing to do.  
Alexios took the hand between thumb and index and placed it next to his friend on a pillow. Then he leaned in and gave Alkibiades a soft kiss. 'I suppose we'll have to engage in some innocent conversation then.'  
'Not fair.' Alkibiades sounded like a spoiled brat.  
Alexios reached for the cups prepared for them and filled them with watered wine. Then he handed one to Alkibiades. 'How is your wife?'  
Alkibiades shrugged, shook his head, and then took a sip.  
Alexios looked confused. 'You don't know? Even for you, that's not very empathetic.'  
'We divorced.' Alkibiades said in his most casual voice. 'Almost two months after the wedding. Iris was only after my looks' Alexios raised an eyebrow at his friend. 'And my status.'  
'I told you so.' He said gloatingly. Nowhere near surprised.  
'I know!' Alkibiades replied stretching out the words. 'That's why I haven't told you.'  
Then they both laughed. Alexios enjoyed every single moment of this strange friendship. They clearly knew each other; almost too well.  
Alkibiades took another sip, the refilled their cups. 'As much as I like to talk about my debauchery – and be sure I can fill hours with it – I'm afraid it could result in problems for my chastity vows. You would be tempted to recreate every single of them.' He snuggled up alongside Alexios. 'What about the life of my favorite _misthios_? Anything worth mentioning?'  
'Nothing I haven't told already.' Alexios put his arm around Alkibiades' shoulder and took a big sip from his cup. 'Got my family back; turned out I don't really belong. My parents are trying to be nice, my sister is somewhere between human and monster and my stepbrother is a pain in the ass. That's all.'  
'Bo–ring.' Alkibiades yawned. 'Tell me about your love life. Or are you saving yourself for me?'  
'You would like that.' Alexios laughed. 'But I have to disappoint you. A _misthios_ doesn't commit.'  
'I heard it nearly happened once.' As if to underline his words, Alkibiades put a finger on Alexios chest.  
The stinging feeling returned to his heart. Why did everyone suddenly have to bring up this issue? Alexios gritted his teeth and swallowed the pain. And with a feeble attempt, he tried to change the subject. 'Did I tell you about the Battle of One Hundred Hands?'  
'If there is no orgy in this story, I'm not interested', came the immediate reply.  
Slowly Alkibiades sat up and filled their cups again – leaving out the water. Apparently he had gotten it into his head to get Alexios so drunk that he talked on his own. But Alexios was not ready for that yet. And he wasn't sure if he ever would be.  
'Please, my mighty hero. Tell me about the things that matter to you. Don't you trust me?' He kissed the mercenary's cheek and handed him the cup.  
'You haven't given me a lot of reasons to do so.' Alexios took a sip. The wine was strong. _Maláka_ , that wouldn't end up good.  
'And still you do.' Alkibiades said with a cheeky grin, knowing he was right. 'Tell me about the woman who broke your heart.'  
Alexios emptied his cup in one go and filled it up again just to take another sip. It was best if he did not remember anything the next morning.  
'We met during the rebellion on Mykonos. I was hired to kill the governor – the pay was generous. We met when we were fighting the Athenians on the beach.' He carefully glanced at his friend, who obviously had little interest concern for his compatriots. 'I helped the Spartans get through the patrols of the Athenian navy and got rid of the Athenian commanders on the island.'  
Alkibiades chuckled. 'Remind me to never be your enemy.'  
'Aren't we already?' Alexios teased. 'I'm Spartan.'  
'My name is also Spartan.' He planted another kiss on Alexios' cheek. 'Allies?'  
'Incorrigible.' Alexios caressed his friend's jawline and continued. 'We spent an unforgettable night together, which turned into unforgettable weeks. Bruised, bloody or broken – we never held back.'  
He paused.  
Alexios felt himself harden by the memories of it. He had experimented a lot with his best friend, but what he had experienced on the island was a completely different kind of pleasure.  
'I always knew you were the rough type.' Alkibiades concluded, not missing the traitorous privates. He considered him with a grin that clearly made plans for the future.  
'I guess so.' Alexios said plainly.

He didn't expect it would feel good to talk about the past, which he never did, not even once. But somehow it made the pain ease a bit. Tough what surprised him most, was the fact that Alkibiades was quite a good listener.  
'And then you had to leave to find your family.' Alkibiades said with a sigh.  
No jibes, no side blow, just pure compassion. He clearly didn't want to destroy the mood or hurt his friend's feelings.  
'Yes.' Alexios said. He thought about leaving it by that, but something made him continue. Maybe it was the wine or maybe the feeling of trust and understanding. 'After kind of declaring love and making something like a promise of meeting again if the _fates_ guide us.' Alexios gritted his teeth and clenched his fists so tightly that the knuckles came out white. He didn't notice that he poured some wine over his _chiton_. 'And being minutes later replaced with the ex-lover.'  
The shock on Alkibiades' face was honest. 'She didn't do that!'  
'It is the truth.' Alexios tried to sound casual and failed epically. 'I'm not made for romantic attachment. The gods made it clear.'  
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to slow down his pulse.  
'What is her name?' Alkibiades suddenly asked.  
'What? Why–?' Alexios was caught off guard. Why did he want to know the name of this traitor?  
He almost lovingly stroked Alexios cheek. 'I need to know her name so I can recognize her if our paths ever cross. And so that I can punish her for what she did to you.'  
Alexios felt his skin prickle in alert. He knew the threat behind these loving words. This man was capable of doing exactly what he said in a cruel matter while maintaining his innocent looks.  
He took another deep breath and closed his eyes. Alkibiades was right, he had to say that name. It was the only way to release it from his heart. And with releasing his breath, he said: 'Thaletas.'  
Silence spread among the men and remained for a few minutes before Alkibiades found his voice again. 'An unusual name for a woman', he tried as a half-hearted joke meant to cheer Alexios up.  
'He is a Spartan general. Supported the rebels to win the silver islands for his home.' Alexios had to swallow the tears down. 'He was all the time in a relationship with Kyra, the leader of the rebels. And he used my weakness for his own benefit.'  
Alexios laid his head back and looked at the stars. He was ashamed to have fallen for that _malákas_. And he was even more ashamed of being not over him.  
The body that hat just nestled up against him suddenly moved. Alkibiades slowly stood up and offered his hand to Alexios.  
'Come inside.' He said in a dark and unusual soft voice. 'I will do whatever I can to comfort you. Tonight is not about me.'


	4. Mail delivery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally a chapter without using the game's dialogues and story. ;)  
> ___

The next morning Alexios had the feeling his head might explode.  
He carefully opened one eye, then the other, and was grateful for the darkness of the room. His look wandered over the familiar pillows, carpets and animal pelts that filled the room and landed on the familiar shape of the snoring naked man next to him. He couldn't help but grin as he recalled the previous night.   
With a slow, but strong movement with his left hand, he rubbed his temples, while he carefully tried to stand up without falling over or waking his friend, grabbing what hopefully was his _chiton_ on the way. His head was roaring like a war horn and the world around him swayed like the _Adrestia_ in a storm. With a few not very elegant steps – and the help of a table and a wall – he reached the door and managed to step into the hall somewhat quietly. The sudden brightness made him close his eyes reflexively.  
‘Ah – someone had a good night, I suppose.’ A familiar voice cried out. Or maybe said. Alexios was not in a state to judge about volume. ‘Paying homage to _Dionysos_. Always a good choice. I remember when we were in the port of–’  
‘Barnabas!’ Alexios snapped. And instantly regretted it. His head would probably kill him today. He continued in a lower voice as he sat down on the steps before the one-eyed. ‘What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be with Leda?’  
‘I was. You know, she reminds me of her mother, my Leda. The same eyes, the same untamable temperament. She just recently saved her farm from a wolf attack and didn’t even get a scratch.’ Barnabas laughed, his hands out to his sides. ‘I told her she should be careful, but she just–’  
‘Why. Are. You Here?’ He pressed the words between his teeth. Even without a hangover, it was sometimes hard enough to listen to his friend. But today Alexios lacked patience even more.  
‘Ah, right.’ The man suddenly seemed to remember that there was a question waiting for an answer. ‘When I went to pay the harbormaster the fee, he gave me a message for the Eagle Bearer. The fee has gone up again, by the way…’  
Alexios cleared his throat to show his impatience.  
‘When I came to Leda, she showed me the new pig stall and then we ate some lovely lamb stew. I told her she has to make it again when you visit the next time. That was when I remembered the message.’ Alexios secretly began making plans about leaving Barnabas behind when they next time cleared the port. ‘She got angry with me like her mother would have been. Ah, the energy – she inherited it from her. She told me I had to immediately bring it to you.’  
Alexios closed his eyes and breathed deeply. Slowly he counted to ten and tried to ignore the gibberish. ‘And what is that message about?’ He finally asked.  
Barnabas shrugged. ‘I don’t know.’  
Alexios dropped his jaw in disbelief. ‘ _You_ don’t know? Then again, why are you here?’  
‘It seemed urgent – and private.’ Barnabas replied as if it were the most casual thing in the world.  
‘How do you tell?’ And since when did it stop him from reading his messages? Alexios raised an eyebrow and stretched out his hand. If he was lucky he would receive the message before the end of the season.  
Barnabas started digging around in his belt pocket and finally pulled out a crumpled papyrus. ‘It says “private” and “urgent” on the outside.’ And with these words, he finally gave him the paper.

Alexios felt as if Zeus had hit him with a lightning bolt when he recognized the handwriting on the letter. Without unfolding it, he passed it back towards Barnabas. ‘I don’t want it.’  
He felt sickness rise up in him and he stormed towards the bathroom, where he vomited indignified into a chamber pot. When only bile rose, he leaned with his back against the next wall and slid down until he was sitting on the floor. With no strength left in his body, he began to laugh. _Look at you_ , he thought. _The mighty Eagle Bearer is not able to open a simple letter because of his feelings_.   
‘Pathetic _Malakas_ ’, he rasped and dropped his head against the wall behind him.  
‘You should read it. It is very much your _liking_ ’, said a rough voice, that indicated a drunken night.   
Alkibiades did not look much better than Alexios felt. His eyes lay in dark shadows and his skin looked dull and was covered with bruises. But somehow he had enough energy to wave the letter in Alexios’ face. This guy was definitely used to mornings like this.  
‘You don’t think much of clothing, do you?’ Alexios asked, trying to look his friend in the eyes.  
‘I’ll get them later if I feel like it.’ Alkibiades said with a wink. He threw the letter at Alexios’ feet and turned around to walk to the kitchen. ‘You should really read it’, he shouted over his shoulder.  
Alexios stared at the papyrus in front of him with tensed muscles as if it could attack him at any time – like a snake in a tomb. He did not dare to move. Why did the past need to catch up with now of all times? Now when everything should be fine. Was it a punishment from _Hestia_ because he was supposed to stay with his family, but ran away instead? Or was it _Aphrodite_ who decided to torment him for her own pleasure?  
No, if he was honest with himself, the matter had never completely left him. It had been always there – he’d just ignored it on his Odyssey.   
Finally, he picked up the letter with the newly broken seal and looked at it indecisively. She must have had a good reason for writing him, for sure. Perhaps she needed his help.  
He shook his head and then crumpled the letter in his hand. That was not his problem, there were more then enough mercenaries she could ask for help. He was through with her – with both of them.   
Slowly Alexios stood up, the letter firmly enclosed in his hand and joined the two men. In the meantime, Alkibiades had fortunately decided to throw over his himation.  
‘Do we set sail to the Silver Islands, commander?’ Barnabas asked curiously.  
‘No.’ Alexios replied briefly and thought for a moment. ‘I will head to Phokis.’ He stepped to the next brazier and burnt the letter unread. Then he shook his head and continued his thoughts. ‘I have no clues where the remaining cultists hide. But I’m sure the Pythia does. And if not, I’ll visit Anthousa in Korinth and ask her. And if she doesn’t know either, I’ll ask the whole fucking Greek world, but I am _not_ setting foot in Mykonos.’  
Alkibiades made a gesture as if Alexios had said something incredibly stupid. ‘But the let–’  
‘NO!’ Alexios shouted. ‘I don’t want to hear about it.’ He went back to the chamber and put on his armor as fast as he could. Even if the Pythia had no answers for him, the direction felt right. Even his half-decayed house on Kephallonia seemed tempting right now.  
‘I’m off’, he said as he passed the Barnabas and Alkibiades, ignoring their looks. 

‘You!’ The priest called out as he recognized the Eagle Bearer. ‘You are not welcome here.’  
‘I know.’ Alexios replied with a smile.  
‘Then what are you doing here?’ Rage and fear rushed simultaneously through the eyes of the priest. The mercenary took pity on him.  
‘I’m going to ask the Pythia a question.’ His smile grew into a grin as he added, ‘In private.’  
‘You are not allowed to enter the temple’, the priest said while stepping in front of the door.  
‘And we both know you won’t stop me from doing exactly this.’ He said, and could not resist patting the priest on a cheek as he walked past him.  
The Temple of Apollo had not changed since his last visit. Still dark and opulent and making one feel smaller then they were.   
‘You are not welcome here, Eagle Bearer’, the Pythia greeted him without looking up.  
‘The priest outside said the same thing.’ Alexios replied and walked closer. ‘Shouldn’t the Oracle be there for everyone who has a question?’  
The woman looked at him with hate. ‘You already asked more than one question. I have nothing to say.’  
‘My question hasn’t changed.’ He stood right in front of her. ‘I need names, locations, anything.’  
‘Even if I could, I wouldn’t tell you anything. I do not plan to die for a paranoid _misthios_.’ Almost unnoticed, she glanced in the direction of the guards, while fear and panic shone in her eyes. ‘May the gods guide you. But now, leave. And never dare to return.’  
With these words, she left for the stairs that led to the basement of the temple. For one brief moment, Alexios thought about getting rid of the guards and following the Pythia, but he felt like it would be pointless. The Pythia said the truth, she was important for the Cult, but they would never tell her everything. She already proved not trustworthy twice and they would definitely kill her if she did so a third time. The chance of getting no information at all was not worth risking a life. He had to find another way to trace the remaining Cultists. 

Alexios left the temple and went to the tents outside the Sanctuary, where he’d left Phobos.  
‘Guess I made you come all the way for nothing, my friend’, he said, as he patted the stallion’s nostrils. He saddled up and made his way down the road towards the harbor in Kirrha. The sun was already beginning to set. No ship would set sail today anymore. If Alexios did not want to spend another cold, sleepless night in the open, he had to pay for a room in the guesthouse. He passed the first houses of the Chora of Delphi. Or maybe he could ask his friend if he would share his home with him for one night if they still were friends. His last visit was years ago, but it wouldn’t hurt to ask.   
He set off and led his horse to the healer’s house. Everything looked just like he remembered – in fact, he would even believe it were the same patients on the straw mattresses.  
As he drew near, an older woman looked up who had changed the bandage on an unconscious man.  
‘Are you in need of help?’ The woman asked.  
Alexios let his eyes wander over the injured. They were mostly men, Spartan soldiers if he had to guess. ‘No, I’m looking for–’  
‘If you are not in need of help, please help us’, she suddenly begged. ‘We have drachmae, we can pay your fee.’  
With a surprised look in the eye, Alexios switched to business. ‘Why do you need my help?’  
The woman shook her head. ‘Our healer is missing.’  
‘Missing?’, Alexios echoed. Even without the prospect of drachmae, he would help to find his friend, but he didn’t mind getting paid for it.   
‘He went to fetch some herbs from the stream this morning, but he hasn’t returned yet’, the woman continued. ‘This place is crawling with wolves these days.’  
‘Wolves?’ That was not good news. ‘I have to hurry. In which direction did he look for the herbs?’  
‘They grow northeast from here.’  
‘Thanks’, Alexios replied politely, trying to hide his own worry. ‘I will find your healer and return him to your village.’  
Alexios exactly knew the place he had to look. It was not the first time the stream was frequented by wolves. Leaving Phobos stray as he pleased, he ran the short distance to the place mentioned. When he arrived he saw in the light of dusk that it was really teeming with wolves – dead wolves, to be precise.  
‘What happened to you?’ He mumbled to the wolf corpse which he examined. ‘Lykaon is no fighter. Who did this? And where _is_ the healer?’  
Carefully he examined the scene of crime when he found a well-used bracer.   
‘Bandits!’, he concluded.  
Alexios searched the entire area, but he could not find the body of his friend anywhere. Hopefully this meant that the bandits had him and he was still alive.  
He followed the path of broken branches and torn off leaves down the direction bandits left. Occasionally they seemed to have tried to cover their traces, but they were obviously bad at it. Alexios crossed the road that led through the valley and then the river and followed the bandits up the hill directly to Desphina Fort.  
The fort had clearly seen better days. Once it stood proud overlooking the sea, but now it began to turn into ruins.   
‘I have to be careful to not get spotted’, he whispered to Ikaros who was waiting for him on a nearby branch. He knew the game. With a few flaps of his wings he rose high into the air and circled the fort. Alexios watched the eagle and waited for his signal, hiding behind a bush as a precaution. He waited nearly a minute until he heard the shriek, directly followed by a second. It was their signal that the area was safe to enter.  
He found grip on the uneven walls of the fort and climbed them with ease. At the top, he ducked and tried to get an overview of the fort. The group of bandits was together on the courtyard, clearly drunk from the wine they passed between them. Only three of them remained sober, watching the area for possible intruders like Alexios.  
He stretched out his arm for the eagle to land. ‘Find Lykaon for me. You remember him? The nice guy who shared his lamb with you?’  
Ikaros took off and circled the fort again. This time it took him several minutes before he settled on a cage near the bandits. Alexios wondered what took the bird so long, maybe he was getting old. What age could golden eagles reach?  
Quickly he lowered himself on the other side of the wall and landed silently in the high grass that had fortunately overgrown the fort. Under the cover of night he approached the bandits, taking care not to cast a visible shadow when passing a torch. With a routine movement, he knocked one of the guards unconscious and sneaked to the cage.  
A young man with long light brown hair huddled inside, gasping in shock when he noticed the mercenary who was looking with a raised eyebrow at the eagle sitting on the cage.  
Alexios signaled the man to remain quiet while he untied the knot at the cage door. He snuck inside and crouched behind the prisoner to untie him.  
He whispered, ‘I am looking for a healer. Do you know where they keep him?’  
‘That is me’, the man replied.  
Alexios frowned, but said, ‘Follow me as quietly as you can.’ He led him past the bandits to a hole in the wall he'd discovered on the way in and then down the hill to the road. They followed it towards the Chora of Delphi.  
‘Thanks for saving my life’, the man finally said when he felt safe. ‘You are the Eagle Bearer, right? Lykaon told me how you kept him from killing his grandmother. I’m honored to meet you in person.’  
‘You know Lykaon? Where is he?’ Alexios asked ignoring the babbling.  
‘Of course. I was his student. My name is Lysander.’ The young man bowed. ‘Lykaon left nearly three years ago, not long after his grandmother passed away.’  
‘Did he say where went?’ Alexios asked out of curiosity.  
Lysander shook his head. ‘He just told me that his work was needed elsewhere and left me in charge of the injured and sick. Maybe I should ask his sister so that I can write him a letter. I'm sure he'd be happy to know that I've got everything under control.’  
Alexios laughed. ‘Well, not everything. What did this bandits want from a healer? They didn’t look sick in my eyes.’  
Lysander blushed and lowered his head. ‘I borrowed money for a gamble from them. I paid them back, but the charged interest which I refused to pay.’  
‘Idiot!’ Alexios burst out. ‘Everyone knows not to borrow money from bandits. Especially not for a gamble.’ He shook his head. ‘Do you want me to deal with them?’  
‘No,’ Lysander said. ‘I have learned my lesson. I will pay my debts and concentrate on my work instead of gambling.’  
Alexios laughed again and said, ‘That’s the right answer, boy.’ And slapped the young man on the back.

Early in the next morning Alexios left Lykaons old house, which was now inhabited by Lysander and the old woman who turned out to be his mother. After a good telling-off for Lysander und some wine and roasted lamb for Alexios, they shared stories and laughed until late into the night. Later he occupied Lysanders’ room while his mother forced the healer to sleep on the floor in the living room. Alexios directed Phobos to the dock where he luckily found a merchant who sailed to Korinth. He paid him the exact sum he earned the last night for a ride on his ship and spent the day dozing under the warm autumn sun.  
When he stepped ashore in Korinth, the harbormaster came straight at him. ‘You are the Eagle Bearer?’ He asked guessing the answer. ‘I have a letter for you.’  
He handed Alexios a papyrus and held his hand up to him, waiting for the mercenary to pay him a drachma or two.   
Alexios paid him and looked at the sealed piece of paper. It was the same handwriting as on the last letter and was again written with the words ‘private’ and ‘urgent’. But this contained a third message on the outside.  
‘You shall read it, not burn it, _malákas_!’


	5. Return to the Silver Islands

How did she know that he had burned the letter from Athens? Did she even know or was she just guessing? No, this letter was new, probably arrived in Korinth just a few hours before he did. She knew that he had burned her letter.  
For two hours Alexios set on a bench in the harbor quarter. Two hours he had spent staring at the letter. And still, he was unsure if he should open it. If he _wanted_ to open it. The men working at the docks already eyed him suspiciously, probably guessing what the _misthios_ was up to.  
‘You have fought many battles, you have killed a Spartan king on the open road. Now have the guts to open a fucking letter!’ He scolded himself.  
Alexios closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then he broke the seal and finally unfolded the piece of paper. Cautiously he opened his eyes again and looked at the handwriting, which was to blame for everything. That had brought him to the Silver Islands in the first place. Then he began to read.

_Alexios!  
I wouldn’t write to you if I didn’t have a reason, you malákas.  
He's too damn proud to ask you for help, so I’m doing it: We need you here.  
I know there are many mercenaries, but you know what these islands mean to us. You know the people. They suffer. Someone is trying to wreck us.  
We need your skills to unmask the traitor.  
Find me at my fathers’ house, I’ll explain everything when you are here.  
You know who. _

Alexios kept staring at the letter until the words began to blur and transitioned into flowers sprinkling on a dusty road. He wished he’d never read that note. But now it was too late. With a single movement of his hand, he crumpled the paper before stuffing it into his belt pouch.   
It was just early afternoon, but he needed wine. A lot of wine. How much did it take to forget the letter and the memories it had brought back? To forget the well-controlled movements of an experienced soldier? The eyes that anticipated every movement of the opponent? The trained muscular upper arms? The strong thighs, the scar above the hip bone...  
Alexios swallowed and shook his head. The memories did more to him than just bring back pain.  
‘I shouldn’t do this’ he said to the bird that landed on his right arm. ‘How long can we avoid returning there?’ Ikaros shrieked and tilted his head as if to say that Alexios was a moron if he truly believed he wouldn’t follow the request.  
 _We need your skills to unmask the traitor.  
_ He clearly understood the hidden message – or better call it the not-well-hidden message. It was the clue he had been looking for all the time and now it was right in front of him, waiting for him to follow it. And he clearly wanted to, but not if it led him to the man who left him broken.  
Ikaros’ shriek tore him from his thought.  
‘You are right’ he said to the eagle while he rubbed his ear that was ringing from the sudden volume. ‘Let’s get this over with.’  
Alexios stood up and Ikaros took back to the skies before they went for the road the led to Athens.  
After they passed the gates of Korinth Alexios mounted Phobos and rode north at breakneck speed. He closed his eyes and trusted his horse to find the way while he felt the wind in his hair clearing his thoughts. It was the right thing to do for sure. He had to face his past no matter how much it might hurt him.

At sunset he reached the port of Piraeus. The _Adrestia_ stood where he left her, waiting for him to return.  
‘The stocks are replenished, commander’ Barnabas shouted at him as he noticed him approaching. ‘We are ready to set sail.’  
‘What stocks?’ Alexios asked back while he boarded the ship.  
Barnabas laughed and put an arm around his shoulders. ‘Wine, of course. I thought you might need it.’ Then he turned around to the men and shouted, ‘Ready to sail! Next destination: Mykonos!’  
‘How do you–?’ Alexios tried to ask but got immediately interrupted.  
‘I know you as well as I know the sea and the mysteries that lie within it.’ Barnabas said and put his hands on the railing.   
‘You think that I am predictable?’ Alexios shook his head with a laugh.  
‘No, I would never think it.’ The one-eyed looked at him with a broad grin. ‘I know it.’  
The rowers skillfully maneuvered the ship out of the harbor and out into the open sea. The cool evening air gave Alexios shivers, but he felt good. No, he actually felt great. It was as if a weight had fallen from his shoulders. He was definitely afraid of what was to come but it felt good to have made a decision.  
‘What did Kyra want from you, commander?’ Barnabas suddenly asked, eye on the horizon.  
‘She suspects a Cultist hiding on the island, making life a hard time again.’ Alexios answered, surprised to feel nothing of the pain that had overtaken him a few hours ago. ‘She wants me to deal with him.’  
‘A Cultist on Mykonos again?’ Barnabas half repeated his words. ‘They seem to not be able to resist the beauty of the island. Who can blame them for it?’  
Alexios grunted. ‘Beauty is only a facade that hides how rotten and unscrupulous the interior is.’  
Barnabas cocked one eyebrow at him. ‘You should rest, commander. You will need all your strength to find the Cultist. The wine is in the cargo hold.’  
Alexios nodded and left for the hold. He would clearly need the wine.

The sun was already high in the sky when Alexios climbed back onto the deck. The crew had left the ship long ago and there was no trace of Barnabas either. The _maláka_ had just let him sleep.  
Alexios frowned at the view of the colorful city that was overgrown with all kinds of flowers. Everyone he could see seemed to be happy and cheerful and clearly enjoyed life. He had the urgent desire to throw up, just to destroy a little bit of this perfectionism.  
Only one step separated him from the island. One step, no more. His heart was beating so hard he could almost feel it in his throat. As soon as he set foot on the island, he would seek Kyra out. And then ….  
No, he wasn't allowed to think about that. He was here because his mercenary work was needed. No more, no less. He would do his job and then disappear again, just like he always did. He would act professionally, his feelings wouldn’t get in his way. He was a Spartan and Spartans never let their feelings get in their way.  
He closed his eyes and counted slowly until ten, then he left the ship.  
Mykonos. He had set foot on the island. And he felt exactly the same as he did a second before. Maybe it wouldn’t turn out so bad.  
He barely noticed how he followed the streets of Mykonos when he suddenly found himself standing in front of Podarkes’ villa. Kyra’s villa. 

In the courtyard were several children playing catch and laughing non-stop. At first, they didn't even notice the heavily scarred mercenary who was skulking around in front of the villa until one of them accidentally bumped into him. The child looked up and screamed in shock.  
‘Are you trying to scare the kids to death?’ Kyra’s voice suddenly sounded from a door on his left. ‘Put on a friendlier face when you come to visit.’  
Alexios hadn’t even noticed that he had pressed his jaws together and watched the goings-on with his eyebrows drawn together, staring grim-faced at them. His muscles were tense as if he was expecting an attack at any time.  
He cleared his throat and rolled his shoulders back. ‘You asked for my help?’ His voice came out harsher then he intended.   
Kyra rolled her eyes. ‘Come inside.’  
Alexios followed her in a room filled with shelving and countless scrolls. It was evident that she spent a lot of her time in this room, planning, thinking, whatever she did these days. Kyra carefully closed the door and Alexios allowed himself to take a closer look at her. She almost looked like the day he left the islands. The long brown hair tied back from her face, her gaze severe, marked by a demanding life. But her eyes lay in shadows as if she barely slept a single night since then. And hidden beneath her dress, he thought he saw a suspicious curving.  
‘You are happy then?’ He asked, desperately looking at a scroll on the desk.  
‘I am.’ Kyra said in a soft tone. ‘More than happy. Thanks to you.’  
‘Glad I could help’ Alexios said wryly, clenching his fists until the knuckles turned white. ‘Did you lure me here to rub your luck in my face or are there real problems you want me to take care of?’  
Kyra gave a deep sigh. ’All right’, she finally said. ‘As I wrote in _both_ of my letters, we are having a bit of trouble these days.’ She began walking up and down the small room and gestured widely as she spoke. ‘Crops get burned, flocks get poisoned, supply ships are attacked by pirates on a regular basis. Someone is trying to weaken us.’  
‘And you want me to find out who does this.’ Alexios concluded.  
‘I would investigate myself, but …’ She gestured on her belly.  
Alexios nodded. ‘I understand.’ Then he rubbed his temple. ‘But why me? Aren’t there more than enough mercenaries? I could recommend you one or two.’  
‘I trust you, Alexios.’ Kyra laid a hand on his and looked him deep in the eyes. ‘Despite everything that's happened,’ she paused and took a short breath, ‘I know you would never betray us. How can I know that another mercenary wouldn’t double-cross us when they get the chance to get paid twice?’  
Alexios drew his hand away. ‘How do you know I wouldn’t? We didn’t part on good terms.’  
‘Because I want to believe you are still the man that arrived on Mykonos in spring three years ago.’ She crossed her arms in front of her chest. ‘We have all made mistakes. I have just as much reason to be pissed at you, for having an affair with my lover. Swallow your pride and focus on the drachmae you will earn. Our treasuries are filled.’  
She had a point there. He thought for a minute.  
’Fine, I’ll do it.’ Alexios finally agreed. ‘But make sure, the payment is more than generous.’  
‘Good to have you back, old friend.’ Kyra slapped him on the shoulder. ‘You can stay here. I had a room prepared for you.’  
Alexios cocked an eyebrow. He was definitely too predictable. ‘When did these incidents begin?’  
‘About six weeks ago. It started with an attacked supply ship. I didn’t pay it much attention as these things happen. But a day later a farmer found his crop burned. The traces indicated that it was not an accident.’  
‘Couldn’t _he_ help? Couldn’t he just order his men to deal with the problem?’ Alexios asked.  
‘No’, Kyra sighted. ‘He tried to. We have reason to believe that the traitor is from his own ranks.’  
‘A Spartan traitor?’ Alexios was surprised. ‘What makes you think it is not one of your men? Someone who wants the Spartans to disappear?’  
Kyra chuckled. ‘You sound like Thaletas. Never doubting the Spartans, do you?’  
Alexios grunted and Kyra continued, ‘He spoke with the installed governor, but he had no evidence. And soon after that things got strange.’  
‘What do you mean?’  
Kyra shook her head. ‘Accidents happened, weapons disappeared, stuff like that. His men began to question his position as a general. As hard as it is for him, he has to keep his feet still and watch how people start to suffer again.’  
Alexios couldn't stifle a grin. ‘That's not among his strengths.’  
‘No, definitely not.’ Kyra laughed out loud. Alexios felt himself back in time when they were friends and used to tease Theletas with his impatience. He secretly missed these times.  
‘Is he …?’ Alexios tried to ask with a lump in his throat. ‘Is Thaletas …?’ He pointed to the curve of her belly.  
‘The Father?’ Kyra asked, clearly surprised. ‘Thank Hera he isn’t.’ She shook her head, smirking. ‘No, if he was, I never would have asked you here. I’m not that cruel.’  
She sat down on a stool and looked at Alexios with a mild face. ‘My husband is the opposite of Thaletas, the opposite of myself. He is patient and gentle, he knows how to calm me down and is there for me when I need him.’  
‘Sounds like the perfect match.’ Alexios said gently, feeling relieved. He leaned with his back against the desk, his legs crossed.  
‘He is. I didn’t like him when he arrived three years ago, but eventually we got married last spring.’ Kyra gently stroked her belly. ‘He completely changed my life.’  
Alexios closed his eyes, pushing back the thought of how pointless the conversation at the celebration was. ‘So you and Thaletas broke up?’  
Kyra laughed at his foolish question. ‘There was nothing to break up.’ She fell silent for a short moment. ‘I thought it was okay, I wanted to believe that everything would turn back to normal. But I couldn’t forget what you two have done to me. And I couldn’t ignore the way he always stared at the horizon, looking for the _Adrestia_ – for you – to return.’  
Alexios had the feeling as if a dagger was rammed into his heart and slowly twisted. ‘He wanted me to return?’  
‘He would never admit it, but I’m no fool. I have eyes to see. And I can tell when I share the bed with a lovesick _maláka_.’ For a brief moment Kyra's face looked sore.  
‘You mentioned in your letter the Cult might be involved? ’ Alexios tried to change the subject before it hurt them both too much.  
Kyra, obviously relieved of the change of subject, stood up and leaned over the desk, next to where Alexios stood.   
‘I’m not entirely sure’, she whispered. ‘But I think I’ve seen guards with strange helmets at the Temple of Artemis a few nights ago. The same kind of helmets I’ve seen with Podarkes. Hiding their faces behind grotesque antics.’  
Alexios pondered, his right hand at his chin. ‘Sounds like their guardians. You have to be careful. If there really is a Cultist involved, you are safer if he doesn’t know you are looking for him.’  
‘I know.’ Kyra sighed. ‘It would be not the first we have to deal with.’  
‘Right.’ Alexios lay his hand on Kyra’s shoulder to show his compassion. ‘I will go to the temple, maybe I can find a hint there.’  
Kyra nodded. ’Right. I expect you back for dinner.’  
‘Already practicing being a mother?’ He laughed and stepped out of the villa.

Alexios took the direct road up the hill to the Temple of Artemis. He had almost forgotten how colorful this island was as his memories were dull. The last time he was on these islands the colors made him nearly forget the scar that the night on Mount Taygetos left on his soul, but this time the colors had instead opened another wound that never completely healed.   
Could he believe what Kyra said? Thaletas looked for him. No, that couldn’t be true. He shook his head. He had made his point clear. Looking for the man he fucked over didn’t make any sense. Kyra must have mistaken the looks with his longing for the only thing Thaletas really loved – Sparta. But Alexios felt something different deep inside him rising up to the surface, a small flame that tried to overtake his feelings and turn the hate and the hurt into something he didn’t want to feel.  
Hope.  
He quickly reached the top of the hill and the Temple of Artemis that dominated the view of the island. As far as he could tell there were no soldiers in this area, neither Spartan nor Cultist ones. Maybe one of the priestesses could tell him more about what Kyra had seen. He walked around the temple to its entrance and stopped abruptly.  
There he stood. Right in front of him, the familiar figure he definitely never wanted to see again in his life. The _fates_ had a cruel sense of humor. Thaletas was only a few steps away, his back turned to Alexios, facing the balustrade and the capital of Mykonos. On his right was a woman, definitely standing too close to be just an acquaintance he had met by chance. Their shoulders touched and the woman looked at the general with a tender expression. That _malákas_ Kyra should absolutely have said something to warn him. Was this her personal little revenge for his betrayal? Did she want Alexios to feel the way she had felt when Thaletas had told her about their affair? He felt his stomach twisting while his heart clenched.  
‘Are you here to make an offering to Athena, _misthios_?’ A voice nearby asked loudly. One of the priestesses approached him.  
Alexios drove off in shock. He totally forgot that he was standing there on plain sight for everyone to see, staring at a ghost of the past.  
‘I am here because I have a few questions’ he finally answered in a carefully low voice.   
Unfortunately not low enough as the general suddenly turned around, his eyes wide open, holding a baby in his arms.  
‘ _Alexios_?’ He said, barely audibly.


	6. Reunion

‘What are you doing on Mykonos?’ Thaletas asked, moving slightly in his direction.  
‘I could ask you the same’, Alexios instantly replied without thinking.  
‘Me?’ Thaletas raised his eyebrows to this stupid reply. ‘I’m stationed here. I _live_ here.’  
Alexios tried to read the expression in the eyes of the general. There was surprise for sure, but there was also something different, something dark.  
‘Answer my question, _misthios_.’ Thaletas repeated slowly. ‘What are you doing on the Silver Islands? You have no business here!’  
‘Actually, I do.’ Alexios said with a straight face, looking directly into the other's eyes. He would show no weakness.  
‘Kyra.’ Thaletas sighed, his eyes closed. He was still holding the baby on his arms, pressing it against his chest. ‘I ordered her explicitly to _not_ write to you.’  
‘She has never been good at following orders. You should know that.‘ Alexios took a step closer while he signaled the priestess, who still stood beside him, to leave them alone.  
‘But I thought you were smart enough to know where you are welcome and where you are not.’ Thaletas spat on the ground in front of him in support of his words. ‘I guess I was expecting too much of a sellsword.’  
The baby began to squirm which made the general press it firmer to his chest.  
‘Thaletas’, the woman said reprimanding and walked to said man, arms outstretched with an obvious request. ‘You are about to crush my Prexinos.’  
Thaletas looked down at the now crying boy as if he had forgotten that he was still holding him. Carefully he handed him over to the mother, a smile barely visible on his lips.  
‘You’ll find me at the house’, she said while she tried to soothe her son. Then she walked past Alexios, eyeballing him closely with disdain written in her face.  
Now that they were alone and Thaletas arms free, Alexios looked at the Spartiate more closely. He looked exactly like he remembered him. Muscular from head to toe, the posture straight, proud, and controlled. He was wearing a red spartan chiton and a simple belt around the waist. Albeit his armor was missing, he didn’t look less dangerous to attack.   
‘You moved on’, Alexios said after an awkwardly long moment of silence, muscles tense.  
‘I did’, Thaletas replied with a nod. ‘I am a general after all. I must be a paragon to the men, or they won’t follow me.’ His voice was serious, betraying no emotion. But his eyes were cold as ice, clearly showing what he thought of Alexios’ sudden appearance.  
‘Thaletas –’ Alexios began but got interrupted immediately.  
‘That’s Kyra’s contract. I wish to not be bothered by it.’ He glanced toward the priestesses who gathered at the temples’ entrance, watching the men closely as if they feared bloodshed.   
With no further words he walked towards Alexios, not losing eye contact until he passed him with a nearly imperceptible nod and left the Eagle Bearer alone.  
Alexios frowned. He had many versions of their reencounter imagined. This was none of them.  
The priestesses watched the mercenary walking up and down in front of the temple entrance suspiciously. Finally, one of them approached him again and politely asked him to leave if he did not want to make a sacrifice. Alexios left. He didn’t feel like investigating.

‘I can’t do this!’ Alexios proclaimed as he walked up to Kyra who stood at the back of her villa, watching the sun set at the horizon.  
‘You met him.’ She said, guessing the obvious.  
Alexios sighed as an answer. ‘The _Adrestia_ will set sail at the brink of dawn.’  
‘I understand’, she said with a soft tone, showing that she actually understood. ‘But please, Alexios, share this evening with me. Stay on Mykonos one night. If you still want to go I won’t stop you.’  
Alexios snickered. ‘I said at dawn, not tonight. I won’t miss the poor fool who tamed the shrew.’  
‘Watch your mouth, _misthios_ ’, Kyra said with a grin and punched him on the upper arm, ‘Don’t forget who is paying you.’  
‘No one. As I said, I’m leaving tomorrow’, he answered and followed her into the house and to the dining room.  
They set down at the large wooden table and immediately he was served watered wine while the servants provided the dinner.  
‘Not bad for a former rebel who hid in a cave’ Alexios said after he tasted the wine which was of high quality.  
‘The _fates_ had to right a wrong.’ Kyra broke off a piece of bread and dipped it into the stew in front of her.   
They spent the dinner laughing together and exchanging stories about what adventures they lived through the last years and Alexios felt like he had never left the island. It felt so good having Kyra back as a friend, as someone he could trust and have a good time with and not someone he hated for being there in the worst possible moment.  
‘So when do I finally meet your husband?’ Alexios asked while he picked up the rest of the stew with a piece of bread from his bowl.  
Kyra smirked. ‘Not today, Alexios. He is needed at work tonight. You have to stay if you want to meet him. And what could be a better time killer than a Cultist who sabotages the Silver Islands?’  
‘I drink to your wits.’ Alexios couldn’t help but laugh. That scheme was totally Kyra as he remembered her.   
‘So you stay?’ She asked.  
He shook his head. ‘I will think about it. But I will not promise you anything.’  
Kyra gave him a broad smile. ‘That is more than I have hoped for. Thank you, Alexios.’ She leaned over and gave him a tight hug. ‘I missed you.’  
Alexios sighed as he watched Kyra disappearing through the door after she wished him a good night. He was a fool if he truly believed he would leave the islands with business unfinished. His reputation as a mercenary said that he would never break a contract, he never did and he never would unless he had a good reason to do so. An ex-lover was not such a thing.  
He stood up and followed a servant to the room that was prepared for him. It was a small chamber with a bed, a desk and a window facing the island of Delos. Alexios shook his head. That minx clearly wanted to pick on him. And she was right to do so as he was no little innocent after all. He folded his forearms onto the window frame and watched the fires lighting the island. Delos was beautiful at every time of day, he thought.

Before he knew it, Alexios was hanging from the facade of the villa and descended to the ground. He landed lightfooted on the stone tiles and crept under cover of darkness towards the beach where he found an unattended fishing boat.  
‘ _Malákas_ ’, he scolded himself as he boarded the boat and crossed over to Delos, headed directly for the beach where a burnt-out fire had been waiting for him years ago. He _knew_ it was a bad idea, but he couldn’t make himself turn around. He didn’t even know why he did this, but something inside of hin dragged him back to the place where he lost his heart.  
When he arrived at the beach he carefully pushed the boat in the sand making sure it wouldn’t drift away with the next wave. He bit his lower lip and closed his eyes. It was still possible for him to turn around and go back to his room on Mykonos or back to the _Adrestia_ and leave as soon as possible. But he knew he wouldn’t do so. All of his life he had spent making mistakes and this night would not be an exception.  
He slowly followed the path that led up the hills. He remembered the flowers that once made him blush, feeling like an innocent little girl that snuck out to meet his lover. He remembered Thaletas waiting for him at the rock he passed right now, visually as nervous as he had felt which had calmed him a little. Alexios continued following the path up the hill, his heart beating faster as he saw the ruins of the _Archegesion_. He didn’t even notice that he was running before he reached the ruins and bent over, eyes closed, to catch his breath.  
The gravel on the trodden surface crunched as steps drew closer.  
Alexios looked up. He was still catching his breath as he pressed out, ‘You!’  
Thaletas positioned himself in front of the mercenary, who straightened up with tense muscles. ‘What are you doing _here_?’  
Alexios looked away and bit his lower lip until he tasted blood. ‘I didn't know it was against the law to come here.’  
‘It is against all decency for you to show up here.’ Thaletas said and walked back to the edge of the ruins where he had sat with a hose of wine.  
Alexios followed him. ‘I didn’t –’  
‘You know exactly that I come here to think!’ Thaletas snapped at him. ‘Don’t play dumb. I won‘t buy that from you anymore.’ He had put on his armor before he went to the _Archegesion_. Now he did look _exactly_ as on the day they first met. And in the evening they spent up here.  
He really didn’t mean to disturb the general.  
Alexios put his hand at this neck and took a deep breath. ‘Thaletas, I –’  
‘Go away’, the general hissed. ‘Do what you are best at and leave me alone!’  
Before Alexios even noticed the adrenalin rushing through his body, he saw his fist hitting Thaletas nose.  
‘ _Malákas_!’ He shouted and aimed the other at the general’s stomach. Pain shot through his fist as it hit the cold metal, but he couldn’t stop himself from continuing. His mouth cried out uncontrollably all the curses he had ever heard, while the vision blurred before his eyes. It was as if something had taken possession of him, something he had hidden deep inside himself.   
Dully he perceived how the other struck back, how he hit him with all his strength. Alexios didn't mind the pain that each blow caused him. Nor did he care about the words that came rushing at him. Blood mixed into his field of vision, which ran from his temple into his right eye. And blood came from his chapped lips that mingled with his saliva.  
And suddenly out of the blue he felt the tight grip of a hand in his hair, pulling him towards the no less bloody face of the Spartan. Lips crushed on each other. He could taste Thaletas blood, mixing with his own. Alexios let out a faint groan as a tongue parted his lips and found its way inside of his mouth.   
A voice far back in his head called him to stop, but he ignored it. Even if he wanted to, he could not stop. And he didn’t want to. What he wanted was for this moment to never end. That those lips would never part from his.  
Abruptly as it had appeared, the general’s hand came loose from his hair and he was thrown to the ground with tremendous strength. Thaletas ran his hands over his own head, disheveling the perfect Spartan hairstyle and pressing his face against his forearms.  
’Thaletas’ Alexios’ voice was merely a whisper.  
‘Don’t put my name in your honorless mouth, _misthios_.’ Thaletas demanded while he let his hands down hanging loosely beside his hips. He spat out every single word like it was poison.  
‘What is your fucking problem, _malákas_?’ Alexios snarled back. He could feel the adrenalin rising again, but he pulled himself together. Too great was the temptation to pull out the spear and ram it through the other’s throat.  
‘My problem is _you_ , stepping back into my life as if nothing happened.’ Thaletas shouted. He closed his eyes and if Alexios didn’t know him better he would guess he was holding back tears. ‘When did you plan to tell me that you are the son of the Wolf of Sparta? The grandson of Leonidas? Did you even plan to tell me or did you want to wait until I made a fool of myself? Was I supposed to wait until you finished with whatever you were up to, just to find out that waiting for someone like you was pointless to begin with? –’  
‘You are one to talk!’ Alexios shouted back, interrupting the flow of words while he stood up from the ground. ‘Who dumped me and replaced me just minutes after that? Stupidly smiling, telling me you found something better. Throwing me away like my _pater_ did on Mount Taygetos.’  
‘Dumped you?’ Thaletas asked gobsmacked, raising his eyebrows in disbelief. ‘You dumped me, right after I told you I loved you.’  
‘I did _not_ dump you. I told you I couldn’t come with you to Sparta because I had business to finish. That is not dumping someone.’ Alexios stepped closer, feeling like he got stabbed repeatedly with his grandfathers’ spear. What was Thaletas talking about?  
Thaletas also had made some steps towards him but didn’t stop shouting. ‘Then what is it if not dumping someone? Did you even consider asking me if I wanted to come with you?’  
‘Would you have?’ Alexios asked baffled, his body froze.  
Thaletas lowered his eyes. ‘No’, he said scarcely audible. ‘But back then I was hoping you’d ask.’ He swallowed visibly. ‘You talked to me like our time together meant nothing to you. Like _I_ meant nothing to you.’  
Alexios felt completely thrown off course. Thaletas was angry with _him_? He closed the gap between them, putting his hands on the general’s upper arms. ‘You meant everything to me’, he whispered.  
Before he could bring forth even one more word, he felt Thaleta’s lips on his again. But this kiss was different. Gently, as if he was afraid of breaking something. Alexios leaned into the kiss, closing his eyes and shutting his thoughts away. He could feel his heartbeat down to his neck. All the anger he had felt until a few moments ago seemed to have been washed away.  
And then, without warning, the woman with the baby came back into his mind. He pushed Thaletas away from him and shook his head. ‘I can’t.’  
‘Why?’ Thaletas asked, trying to kiss him again.  
Alexios looked at him, eyebrows raised. ‘You are a father, Thaletas.’  
Thaletas looked at him in surprise, then spoke under his breath, ‘Uncle. In Sparta, we call it uncle.’  
Alexios let out a breathy laugh. ‘You’re sure? Uncle?’  
Thaletas grinned at him and cupped his face with his hands. ‘I’m sure. Kressida is my sister, Prexinos my nephew. If anyone should know that than me.’  
After a moment of silence was no holding back anymore. Alexios pressed his lips against the Spartan’s, feeling the lust overtaking his acting and thinking completely. Their tongues met again, continuing the fight they had before, making both men groan. Alexios pushed Thaletas against a nearby pillar and began unbuckling the man’s armor while he didn’t part from the lips. He tossed the armor away on the ground, not caring if it might get damaged. His own armor quickly followed. He didn’t care that neither of them brought any oil and he didn’t mind the pain that would await him. He only wanted to feel Thaletas as close as possible, maybe a little bit closer. No matter what it took. 

At dawn Alexios and Thaletas lay on the rocky ground of the _Archegesion_ , gasping for breath. Alexios felt as if they had caught up with the past years in one single night.   
He looked at the body lying by his side, covered in dirt, dried blood and traces of what they did, bruises and bite marks everywhere. Some from the fight, some from what came after it. He could not help but grin as he ran the scars on the muscular chest with his fingers. The last years had been mild with the general and had given him only a few new ones.  
‘I missed you, Alexios.’ Thaletas finally said, cupping the mercenaries jaw before leaning in for a gentle kiss. ‘I missed you every single day.’  
‘So did I’, Alexios replied. His heart was overflowing with happiness. Then he sighed. ‘I guess we should head back before someone misses us.’  
Reluctantly, Thaletas agreed and they both slowly stood up. There seemed to be no part of Alexios body that did not ache. He gathered his armor and carefully put it back on while Thaletas did the same with his.  
He studied at Thaletas from top to bottom. The general looked more like he had been fighting Athenians all night and not made out with his ex-lover instead. He imagined what his men would think about the sight. Alexios shook his head and giggled at the thought.  
‘What is it?’ Thaletas asked and gave Alexios a suspicios look.  
‘I just thought of the explanation you would give your men when they see you like this.’ Alexios said while he attached the spear at his back. ‘You don’t look very inconspicuous.’  
‘That is the good thing about being a general. I don’t answer questions, I ask them.’ Then he let his gaze wander over Alexios’ body. ‘You don’t look much better.’  
Alexios shrugged. ‘I am a _misthios_. Looking like that is part of the job.’  
He stepped towards the Spartan, wrapped his arms around his chest and gave him another long kiss. ‘When will we meet again?’  
Thaletas wriggled out of his embrace and suddenly looked at Alexios with a serious expression.  
‘Alexios’, the Spartan said, placing his next word carefully. ‘There is one thing you should know.’ He closed his eyes and said after a short break, ‘I have a girlfriend.’  
That was the second time Alexios’ fist hit Thaletas nose.


	7. Disservice

‘Barnabas, ready to set sail!’ Alexios shouted as he entered the Adrestia. ‘We will leave these islands as soon as possible and never return!’  
Barnabas was baffled but immediately left the conversation with Neokles, the lieutenant Alexios recruited the last time they dropped anchor off the Silver Islands. When he drew closer to Alexios he raised his eyebrows wondering. ‘You look as if you emerged directly from Tartaros, commander.’  
Alexios glanced at him without turning his head. ‘You don’t seem so wrong about that, old friend. I feel like I have.’ He continued his way to his usual place and let himself down on one of the benches. His whole body ached.  
‘And where are we heading for?’ Barnabas asked.  
‘I don’t mind.’ Alexios answered plainly. ‘Messara, Messenia, maybe we could leave the Greek world.’  
‘You are free to go wherever you want _after_ you fulfilled our contract, misthios.’ Kyra suddenly appeared behind Barnabas, her arms crossed.  
‘I don’t follow orders!’ Alexios snapped at her, mirroring her pose. ‘And we already agreed that our contract is untenable.’  
Kyra shook her head. ‘That was _before_ someone broke into my house.’  
With these words, she had his full attention.  
‘When?’ he asked.  
‘Last night.’ Kyra replied.  
Alexios stood up, trying to not pull a face in pain. ‘Is that true or do you just want me to stay and solve your problem?’  
‘When did _I_ ever lie to _you_?’ Kyra hissed. ‘Someone searched all the guest rooms. Sneaking out like an adolescent might have been a wise idea this time.’ She eyed him closely from top to bottom from the corners of her eyes. ‘I will never understand you. You look like Ares was trying to do Aphrodites work.’  
Alexios let out a faint laugh. ‘Maybe he did.’ He leaned over the railing, then shook his head. ‘I wished I could help, but …’ He sighed and fell silent.  
Kyra leaned beside him, her back towards the sea. ‘You have an interesting crew, Alexios.’ She nodded in the direction of the three women who stood together laughing, then waved at them. ‘Is there anyone on this ship you haven’t slept with?’  
Alexios snorted a laugh. He turned around and leaned with his back against the railing, arms and legs crossed. ‘Most of the men’, he answered with a shrug.  
‘Most?’ Kyra cocked an eyebrow.  
Alexios shrugged again, then grinned which made Kyra shake her head again.  
‘Will you stay and help me?’ She asked, looking towards the island.  
Alexios sighed. He knew it was a bad idea, but at the same time, it was the right thing to do. It was the only clue he had to find the person behind the Cult. Only the gods knew how many months it would take him to find another one. ‘I will.’  
‘Good’ Kyra nodded. ‘If you are successful, I _might_ forgive you.’ She patted his shoulder and turned away to leave the ship. ‘Welcome back, Eagle Bearer.’  
Alexios sighed, then spoke, more to himself, ‘I will definitely regret this.’

Shortly after Kyra had left, Alexios approached Barnabas who did not show a sign of departure.  
‘You knew it would end like this.’ Alexios said to him and crossed his arms.  
‘I did, commander.’ Barnabas answered in his most innocent voice. ‘I knew it the moment she stepped aboard.’  
Alexios snorted a laugh and slapped the old man's shoulder.  
‘I will head to the blacksmith. Anything you need to be fixed?’ He asked in his loud, confident voice.  
‘My back aches lately, but I’m afraid the blacksmith would not be of great help’ Barbabas answered and laughed.   
‘I will join you’ Odessa suddenly said. She stood right behind Alexios. ‘I fear my sword needs some fixing.’  
‘I could get you a new one. You know that.’ Alexios said when they left the ship and walked towards the city.  
Odessa joined him at his side. ‘And I told you that this one is valuable to me.’ She looked at him from the side of her eyes. ‘Should I ask you what kind of beast attacked you last night?’  
Alexios shook his head and tried to hide his true feelings. ‘Just an old training partner. Someone who can keep up with me. So would you, if you trained harder.’  
He friendly elbowed her in the side.   
‘I’m much better than you think, Alexios. Roxana’s training is tough. You wouldn’t stand a chance against the three of us.’ She returned his punch.  
Alexios laughed. ‘You expect me to lose against three women? First, if it takes three of you to fight, you’re too weak. Second, I still win.’  
‘Third, you overestimate yourself.’ Odessa joined his laugh, then turned to the blacksmith who quickly assured her that the sword was easy to fix.  
Alexios suddenly felt incredibly light. He had made many mistakes in his life, but taking Odessa on board was not one of them.   
After Odessa was finished with the blacksmith, Alexios asked him to fix the attachments of his bracers. It was something he wanted to have done for long, but he couldn’t find the time for it as he never stayed long enough in one place. Except for Sparta, but he had a bad feeling about asking a blacksmith there as they were Athenian ones. They agreed on the price and the craftsman promised Alexios could pick them up in the evening.  
‘Alexios the Eagle Bearer!’ A voice suddenly came out from behind him. ‘What brings you to the Silver Islands?’  
Alexios turned around and was immediately welcomed with a firm handshake.  
‘Herodianos!’ He said with a broad grin. ‘What a surprise to see you here. I thought you’d be off to war somewhere, leading your men as a successful general.’  
‘Unfortunately, I am not a general yet. But I command my own men. We were sent here in spring as it was said the Athenians want to take these islands back.’ He shook his head and gestured at the environment around them. ‘Who could blame them for that?’  
‘These islands are of strategic importance’, a deep, controlled voice behind the soldier suddenly said.  
Alexios looked at the face that looked badly battered.  
‘General Thaletas’ Alexios nodded politely. To his relief, he felt completely calm, almost emotionless. Thaleta’s eyes, however, seemed to overflow with emotion. They were wide open and dark and seemed to ask him for forgiveness. His lips were slightly open, ready to be kissed. Alexios briefly closed his eyes and took a deep breath. So much for being without emotion. But he could not forgive this liar. Once again, he had fooled him. Gave him the hope that he would matter to him. Only to liberate his own urges and then throw Alexios in the dirt like a whore he had no use for anymore.  
‘Are you showing your beloved the island?’ Herodiano’s voice suddenly tore him from his thoughts.  
‘Uh, yes.’ Alexios replied in reflex before realizing what he said with it. He immediately registered confusion and hurt in Thaleta’s eyes, and without further thought, he heard himself say, ‘I always wanted to show it to her.’  
He put his arm around Odessa’s waist and pulled her a little closer. He was a fool.  
‘I had no idea you were in a relationship, misthios.’ Thaletas said, his voice suddenly as cold as the snow on Mount Taygetos. ‘This is a surprise. Apparently, it is for your girl too.’  
‘I’m just surprised our _relationship_ has reached this point. We hadn’t talked about it before.’ Odessa leaned a little bit against Alexios and put on a big smile. ‘Alexios has kept it a secret from the _entire_ crew until now.’  
Alexios feared that she would kill him for it later but was glad that she did not expose him.  
‘Something like this can have an effect on crew morale. I can understand that’, said Herodianos in an understanding voice, then he slapped him on the shoulder. ‘But I am happy for you.’  
Thaletas snorted audibly. ‘Unlike others, we have work to do, Herodianos.’ He regarded Alexios with a contemptuous look.  
‘Right.’ Herodianos straightened up. ‘Will you join us for some wine tonight, Eagle Bearer? We would all be most interested to hear about your adventures in Boeotia and Amphipolis.’  
‘I'm afraid I don't have the time–’ Alexios started but was interrupted by Odessa.  
‘He is looking forward to it as much as I am to a night off with my friends.’ She said, grinning cheekily at Alexios.  
‘Your woman’s got a hold on you.’ Herodianos said with a laugh and left with Thaletas towards Kyra's villa.  
Alexios and Odessa did not move until the two Spartans were out of sight. Then Odessa turned to him, put her hands on her hips, and asked ‘What in the names of the gods was this about, Alexios? You pass me off as your lover?’  
‘I wasn’t thinking.’ Alexios tried to explain.  
‘Apparently.’ Odessa said. ‘You owe me something. And you will pay the blacksmith and my wine the next few nights.’  
‘I will’, Alexios said and rubbed his temples with his hand. ‘I am sorry, Odessa.’ He sighed.  
Odessa gently put one arm around his shoulders and said softly to him ‘Love turns men into fools.’  
Alexios widened his eyes and looked at Odessa in shock.   
‘You know about … _that_?’ He whispered.  
She pecked him on the cheek. ‘I know you for years, my friend. I know when you fool around, who you fool around with, and I definitely know when you lose your heart. Especially when it is that obvious. You should ask who doesn’t know.’  
She sat down on a bench and chuckled. ‘You know what's funny?’ She tapped on the place next to her and Alexios took a seat. He raised one eyebrow. ‘You make no secret about sleeping with someone. Man or woman, you don’t care if anybody knows about it. But when it comes to love, you’re as scared as a little boy.’  
‘Because it is not easy.’ He said slowly. ‘You know that a romantic relationship between men is not possible. Especially not with a Spartan general.’  
‘Like you would give a shit. You never did before.’ Odessa replied and laughed. ‘You’re just afraid of getting hurt.’  
Alexios pressed his hands against the stone underneath him and leaned back, eyes closed. ‘He is in love with a woman. He told me after we–’   
He stopped and Odessa looked at him with compassion.  
‘Malaka’ She cursed. ‘That explains your behavior.’ Then she sighed. ‘I will play the part if it helps you.’  
‘Thank you.’ Alexios put an arm around Odessa's shoulders. ‘But no. I will clear up this misunderstanding as soon as possible. He‘s a liar, but I‘m not.’ He smiled at her and stood up. ‘We should go back to the ship now. I'm sure Barnabas will miss us already.’

Alexios spent the remaining morning doing errands for his ship and haggling with the local shipbuilder about the cost of some minor repairs. It felt good to have things to do that distracted him from his feelings and the growing chaos that was around him.   
After the noon sun had left its highest level, he and Zopheras, who he had promised to train later, set out for the Temple of Artemis.  
Silently, he thanked the Fates for not running into anyone he knew along the way. He could do without another incident like at the blacksmith.  
The priestesses at the temple turned out to be extremely talkative. Especially a younger priestess, who seemed to be undressing the mercenary with her looks, answered each of his questions in detail. It was easy, almost too easy.  
‘And you’re sure they didn’t steal anything of value?’ He asked her while Zopheras was investigating the temple. ‘The thieves only took minor trinkets? That looks rather … suspicious.’  
The priestess nodded. ‘Yes. Only a broken bracelet and an old ring. We counted three times. Nothing more is missing.’  
‘But that makes no sense.’ Alexios said started going up and down. ‘Why would someone break into a temple and not kill anyone or steal anything?’  
The priestess eyed him suspiciously.  
Alexios continued unperturbed. ‘And they even got caught. But why? It is easy to get in and out unnoticed.’  
Zopheras came back from inside the temple and joined them. ‘It is like they say. Nothing of value is missing. That doesn’t make any sense, Alexios.’  
‘No’, Alexios shook his head. ‘Unless they just wanted to get caught. Like that was their plan from the beginning.’  
‘Does that make sense?’ Zopheras asked, looking as confused as the priestess.  
‘I don’t know yet.’ Alexios said, still trying to make sense of what he investigated. ‘But I will find out.’  
He nodded to the priestess, then turned around and left the temple area.  
Zopheras followed him. They left the path and went down the hill through the bushes until they came to an open area. Alexios drew his dagger and turned to Zopheras.  
'Ready?' he asked with a broad grin. And attacked her without waiting for an answer.  
Zopheras skillfully defended his first blow and countered without hesitation. It turned out to be a good fight in which Zopheras even prevailed once. Odessa and Roxana seemed to have taught her a thing or two.  
‘What do you think about our discoveries?’ she asked as she parried a low strike.  
‘Dunno’, he wheezed. She had almost cut him on the jaw.  
It was a lie. He had a pretty specific idea of what the cultists wanted. But he wasn't sure yet if he was right.  
‘If you ask me’, Zopheras parried and thrust her dagger forward, ‘They really wanted to get caught.’  
‘And why?’ Alexios was surprised that the young woman still had enough breath to speak.  
‘They want attention. Your attention, actually.’ She said with a grin and performed a series of quick blows.   
Alexios was stunned for a short moment that she had drawn the same conclusions as he had. He only hesitated for a second but that was enough for Zopheras to get behind his back and kick him to the ground.  
He turned on his back. ‘My attention?’ he asked. ‘But why?’  
‘Easy.’ She threw herself on him and tried to pin him down underneath her. ‘So far you’ve tracked them down and killed them one by one. They never knew when or where you would show up. If I were them, I’d turn the tables.’  
‘Make the hunter the hunted.’ Alexios huffed. ‘I didn’t think they had that much intelligence. But you could be right. I was thinking the same.’ Then he grinned. ‘You lost, by the way.’  
‘I did?’ Zopheras raised her eyebrows in surprise. ‘As far as I can tell, I’m on top, holding you.’  
‘As a mercenary, you must anticipate’, he said and with a skillful, powerful movement, he turned her on her back, secured her limbs and held the spear to her throat. ‘For example, you must anticipate that your opponent might have a spear and reserves some energy for the very end.’  
Zopheras laughed. ‘Okay, I give up. Now get your spears away from me.’  
Alexios raised an eyebrow, but stood up and gave Zopheras a hand to help her up, which she accepted.  
‘You’ve improved.’ He said.  
‘Glad you noticed’, she answered back. ‘Roxana and Odessa are great teachers. And Neokles also showed me a thing or two.’  
Alexios slapped her on the shoulder and laughed. ‘You’re sure it was just _a_ thing? You two seem close.’  
‘We are working on the Spartan-Athenian friendship. The Fates will decide what will become of it.’ She shrugged, then turned to Alexios. ‘I hear you have an interest in the Spartan army.’  
‘What do you mean?’ Alexios frowned. ‘I am a mercenary and I will always stay one.’  
‘Don't play dumb, Alexios.’ She said and hooked up with him as they walked towards the path. ‘Odessa told us she saw you kissing a Spartan general. It seems you are the perfect Spartan woman I was meant to become.’  
Alexios blushed. ‘Remind me to kill her.’  
‘I most certainly will not.’ She leaned her head against his arm. ‘From your reactions, I’d say it was something serious?’  
‘First and foremost, it is none of your business.’ He said, blushing even more.  
‘I just wanted to make conversation. Don’t get angry with me.’ Zopheras said and took his hand as they stepped through the bushes into the street. ‘I thought we were friends.’  
‘We –’ Alexios suddenly stopped and stared at the figure coming towards them from the direction of Kyra's villa. What had he done to Aphrodite to make her torture him like that?  
Zopheras quickly counted one and one together and asked ‘Is that him?’  
Alexios just grunted and gritted his teeth.  
‘You have a good taste’, she whispered into his ear. Then she hooked up with him again and turned him towards the approaching man.  
‘General Thaletas, what a surprise’ she said and smiled at the confused looking man.  
‘Do I know you?’ Thaletas asked with a voice of a commander.  
‘I doubt you remember me. But I remember you.’ Zopheras said. ‘You were with my oldest brother in the same _agélai_ in the agoge.’  
Alexios looked at her in surprise. Was that true?  
‘And does your brother have a name?’ Thaleta’s voice sounded slightly annoyed and he signaled clearly that he wanted to leave as soon as possible.  
‘Sure he does.’ Zopheras said with a smile. ‘Mikythos of Sparta.’  
Suddenly Thaletas smiled. ‘How could I forget Mikythos? A great soldier, always with a joke about the Athenians on his lips. You are the girl that always followed him around like a pet.’  
‘That’s me, Zopheras.’ She said and laughed.   
‘Tell me, Zopheras, sister of the Mikythos, what are you doing so far from Sparta at the side of _this_ mercenary.’ Asked Thaletas with distinct disdain in his voice.  
Alexios flinched. He had only been a spectator in this conversation so far. But now the general looked at him for the first time and his eyes weren’t friendly.  
Before he could say anything himself, he heard Zopheras speak.  
‘I joined his crew.’ She boldly said and cuddled up to his arm.  
‘What are you doing?’ Alexios hissed to the woman.  
‘Trust me’, she whispered in his ear and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Then she turned back to Thaletas. ‘He gives me what Sparta can’t.’  
‘A life without honor?’ Thaletas asked sneery and looked Alexios in the eye.  
‘A life’, Zopheras began and placed the fingers of her right hand on Thaleta's chest plate, ‘in which I am free to do what my heart desires.’  
Thaletas put her fingers down and snorted. ‘And that is being with him?’  
‘It is’, Zopheras said. ‘And we are in love.’  
Alexios and Thaletas both tore their eyes open in surprise. Alexios had to suppress the urgent desire to strangle Zopheras on the spot.  
‘Zopheras–’, he hissed.  
But she continued without hesitation. ‘We keep it a secret. Alexios does not want the crew to know about it to avoid possible trouble.’  
Alexios began to boil inside.  
‘Is that so?’ Thaletas asked Alexios, an eyebrow raised.  
Alexios just smiled helplessly and clenched his teeth. He had a bad feeling about the direction the conversation was going.  
Thaletas paused for a moment.  
‘You may have Spartan citizenship, misthios, but you do not know enough honor to be a Spartiate.’ He finally said to Alexios, now ignoring Zopheras. ‘I was wrong when we first met. Spartan blood is not always eternal.’  
He looked at Alexios one last time with disgust before he turned to Zopheras. ‘If I were you, I’d think twice about who I’m dealing with.’ Then he went on towards the city and left them alone.  
Alexios waited, his hand slapped in front of his face, until Thaletas was out of sight. With every second that passed, he felt the rage rising within him. Then he turned to Zopheras.  
‘What. Was. That?’ He hissed, teeth still clenched.  
Zopheras shrugged. ‘I tried to help you. You should be thankful?’  
‘Thankful?’ Alexios shouted out. ‘For what? For making everything worse?’  
‘What’s wrong?’ Zopheras asked visibly confused. ‘To show a man what he has lost is the best way to win him back. If he still wants you, he'll fight for you.’  
‘That sounds incredibly stupid.’ Alexios replied, shaking his head.  
Zopheras looked him in the eye. ‘Trust me. Aphrodite gave that trick to us women, and it will work for you as well.’  
Alexios rolled his eyes. ‘Assuming that _might_ work–’  
‘It does’, Zopheras interrupted.  
‘And assuming I _might_ be interested in him–’ Alexios continued, getting angrier by the second.  
‘You are’, Zopheras interrupted again.  
‘Assuming all that is true’, Alexios did not let himself be deterred. ‘Then what you did was still an incredibly bad idea.’  
Zopheras crossed her arms. ‘And why is that?’  
‘Because’, Alexios' voice grew louder, ‘he thinks that I am _in love_ with Odessa.’  
‘Oh.’ Zopheras was dumbstruck.  
‘Yes. Oh.’ Alexios answered back.  
‘I just wanted to help.’ Zopheras tried to explain.  
‘And who will help me next?’ Alexios talked himself into a rage. ‘Maybe Roxana? And then Neokles?’ He gestured wildly with his arms. ‘Maybe I should write Alkibiades and ask him to come here. I am sure he’d love to be part of this ridiculous comedy.’  
‘Alexios, I am sorry. I didn’t know.’ Zopheras said, struggling for words.  
‘That is the point.’ Alexios snapped at her and raised his hand. ‘You know nothing about me. Stop pretending we’re friends. You’re just a woman I felt sorry for. Stop with your good intentions and get out of my sight until we leave this island.’  
Alexios turned around and started to run. He didn’t pay attention to where he was going and didn’t care. He just wanted to be alone before he did something he would regret.


	8. Confused emotions

‘The misthios finally arrives’ Herodianos said as he saw Alexios approaching. He immediately provided him with wine and instructed him to take a seat next to him. ‘I was afraid you wouldn’t show up at all.’  
‘I’m sorry I couldn’t make it earlier.’ Alexios said and sat down.  
‘No need to apologize’ Herodianos replied and nodded sympathetically. ‘I suppose the work of a mercenary cannot be scheduled as effectively as that of a soldier.’  
‘That might be right’ Alexios said and laughed. He took a sip of the wine.   
The truth was that it had taken him half the afternoon to cool off again. He had spent the whole time at a beach in the southeast of the island, trying to meditate and finally practicing some sequences with his spear. When he finally had a clear head again, he had picked up the orders from the blacksmith, pressed a top-quality dagger from his collection into Zopheras' hand as an apology and listened to a long lecture from Odessa who was apparently told about the incident. The women were not to blame for his chaos, he knew that, but nevertheless, he left immediately after that. He was still too agitated and was at the risk of accusing them of things he would regret later.  
‘I did almost not recognize the beach.’ Alexios said to Herodianos. ‘Last time I was here, it was just tents and shipwrecks. And now it is an actual fort.’  
‘Actually, we kept one of the shipwrecks.’ Herodianos answered and nodded in the west direction of the fort. ‘It is meant to remind us that every victory comes with great cost. The men should not grow reckless.’  
‘Rather philosophical for a Spartan.’ Alexios replied.  
Herodianos let out a laugh. ‘Sparta is the secret home of the greatest philosophers in the greek world.’  
‘Name one.’ Alexios said teasingly.  
Herodianos thought for a short while before he finally answered, ‘Chilon of Sparta!’  
‘ _Brevity is the soul of wit_ ’ Alexios raised his cup and took a sip. ‘My mater used to say that to me when I talked too much. So basically all the time.’  
‘As all mothers do say it’, Herodianos laughed. ‘To their sons, to their husbands – I think even to their fathers.’  
‘And it is wise to follow it.’ Thaletas said tersely. He was sitting on the other side of the fire across from Alexios and hadn’t said a word yet. Most of the time he stared into his cup with a gloomy expression, only sometimes he looked up to stare at Alexios with an even gloomier expression.  
‘Your mood scares even Ares, Thaletas. Had an argument with your woman?’ Herodianos asked and took a seat next to the general.  
Thaletas shook his head and took a sip from his cup of wine. ‘Everything is fine with Althea. It’s been just a rough day.’ He looked at Alexios with a grim expression and the mercenary turned to the soldiers on his left to join their conversation about swords.  
The next hours Alexios spent talking to the soldiers. Some he knew from back then, others were unknown to him. But they all wanted to know more about the _'Adventures of the Eagle Bearer'_. So he talked and answered one question after the other while he was constantly poured wine.  
It was getting late and the first men said goodbye for the night. Finally, only a few, well drunk, were left. Alexios didn’t know when or how it happened but suddenly he found himself between Herodianos and Thaletas and they discussed different strategies on how to invade Athens.  
The bench on which they sat was narrow. Almost too narrow for the three men, so that their thighs pressed together to give them enough room.  
Alexios swallowed when he noticed how close he was to Thaletas. His right leg, his right arm, everywhere he felt the general and he felt his pulse start racing. He took another large sip of wine and carefully pressed his thigh outwards. The pressure was immediately returned.  
Something inside him wanted him to turn right, to look into the beautiful brown eyes. But he was afraid. Afraid of seeing the disgust in those eyes.  
Suddenly he felt a hand on his left wrist and he turned in confusion to Herodianos who looked at him with curiosity.  
‘You don’t have to answer.’ Herodianos said as he drew his hand back.  
‘I’m sorry.’ Alexios said. ‘Can you repeat your question?’  
Herodianos laughed. ‘Already had too much wine, huh?’ He elbowed Alexios. ‘I asked if there is a story behind these bracers.’  
Alexios raised an eyebrow. ‘What makes you think so?’  
‘I saw you got them repaired.’ Herodianos said and shrugged. ‘You usually wear a different set of armor every time I see you, so getting these repaired seems odd to me. And on top of that, they are also Athenian. You told me once you were avoiding typically Spartan or Athenian armor. So there must be a story behind them, isn’t there?’  
Alexios blushed and smiled shyly as he brushed across his bracers. ‘They were a gift’, he said gently. ‘A close friend gave them to me. He said they shall remind me that I always have a home to come back to.’  
‘Spartans have no friends in Athens.’ Thaletas said dryly while his pinkie subtly brushed over Alexios' knee giving him goosebumps. ‘And certainly no home there.’  
‘No reason to be more Spartan than the kings, Thaletas.’ Herodianos said and patted Alexios on the shoulder. ‘I think that’s a good story. And the most important thing is that you don’t become an enemy of Sparta, Eagle Bearer. That would be fatal for the war.’ Herodianos glanced at Thaletas.  
‘You overrate him, Herodianos.’ Thelatas suddenly said and slapped his hand on Alexios' thigh – a little too high to be just a friendly gesture – where it rested. ‘He’s just a common sellsword, not a demigod. He is certainly not a threat to Sparta's strength.’  
Alexios felt a sting in his heart. The pleasant warmth that emanated from the body next to him turned into a burning pain where their skin touched. As good as he could, he tried to release himself from the touch but Thaletas’ body seemed to follow.   
Alexios shut his eyes and gritted his teeth. That behavior didn’t make any sense to him. Why did this man send such contradictory signals? Did he? Did he send any signals at all? Alexios wasn’t sure. Maybe it was the wine that clouded his perception.  
‘I have to go’, he finally said and stood up. ‘Thanks for the wine.’ He nodded at Herodianos and left the fort as fast as he could.  
Alexios followed the road west towards Kyra’s villa when the world around him began spinning. He just made it in time to lean against the next tree when he threw up.  
‘Shit’, he snorted and felt tears building up while his strength left his body. ‘I am such an idiot!’

‘You really look gross!’ Kyra said with audible disgust in her voice. She handed Alexios a waterskin and turned away to face the road.  
Alexios blinked and tried to figure out where he was. He looked at his right and immediately remembered the moment of disgrace that ended the last night.   
‘Shit’ He said and took a sip from the waterskin to wash away the awful taste on his tongue. ‘How did you know I was here?’  
Kyra handed him a damp cloth and a clean red chiton without looking at him.  
‘Thaletas told me.’ She said and then added, ‘And warned me about what I was going to find.’  
‘I’m sorry about that.’ Alexios said and got ready as fast as he could.  
He followed Kyra silently down the roads in direction of Miltiades Fort as the sky turned pink and the sun began its ascent.  
Alexios frowned. ‘It is early in the morning.’  
‘You don’t say.’ Kyra rolled her eyes.  
‘Why did he visit you at night time? I doubt it was because to make fun of me.’ Alexios asked.  
Kyra sighed. ‘He would never make fun of you. He has manners.’ Alexios snorted, but Kyra went on. ‘There was an incident at the Fort last night while you were passed out in a bush. He reported it to me immediately.’  
‘An incident?’ Alexios repeated. ‘What kind of incident? And why did he report it to you?’  
Kyra turned around and raised an eyebrow. ‘Have you lost not only your dignity but also your memory? A clue for you, it has something to do with my letter.’  
‘Oh’, Alexios replied dumbfounded.  
‘Yes, you are here because I requested you.’ Kyra reminded him. ‘But if you want to know more about that incident, ask him. I have work waiting for me.’  
She shook her head and turned towards the road leading to her villa.  
‘Be decent. His men don’t know about anything.’ She said while she left him alone.

‘Malaka’, he cursed silently, and without thinking twice he headed the road up towards Miltiades Fort. It was in much better condition than he remembered. Three years ago it had looked more like a ruin, but the dilapidated walls had been restored and the buildings inside rebuilt.  
He sent Ikaros ahead to show him the safest way to Thaletas, which unfortunately turned out to be the most difficult.  
He climbed onto one of the outer southern walls and sneaked behind one of the guards to the first building, which he climbed up the outer wall to the roof. Once at the top, he sat down and gathered his strength. Usually, on days after a binge, he tried to avoid such tours. But what was usual for him in Mykonos?  
He waited until Ikaros gave the signal, tried to focus on his mission and balanced over a narrow wall to the next building where he jumped onto a lower roof where the signal fire was prepared. Out of habit, he made a special preparation in case one of the guards spotted him and called for reinforcements. Nowadays it usually never happened, but in his years as a mercenary, he had painfully learned more than once how important this preparation could be.  
When the next signal from Ikaros sounded, he balanced over a conveniently taut rope onto a building inside the fort. He hated these constructions because he feared every time that the rope might break. But it held.  
From here it was easy. A short jump of at most two arm spans led him to the building where Ikaros had settled down. He landed silently and balanced over the narrow ledge to a window and climbed into the room where he was already expected.  
‘You took your time.’ Thaletas said, his sword pressed against Alexios’ throat.  
‘Happy to see you, too,’ Alexios said dryly.   
Thaletas put away his sword and slowly eyed Alexios from top to bottom.  
Alexios' skin felt like it was burning and his muscles were even more tense than in battle.  
‘You noticed I was coming.’ He said to the general.  
‘You're not the first person to come through this window today. By the way, you were louder.’ Thaletas replied and pointed to a helmet on his desk.  
‘Malaka’, Alexios cursed. ‘So it _is_ the Cult, after all.’  
He took a closer look at the helmet. Then he shook his head.  
‘And the body?’ He asked.  
‘There is no body.’ Thaletas said and placed himself close to Alexios. ‘I barely stopped the assassin from slitting my throat. He lost his helmet while fleeing.’  
Alexios put the helmet back on the table and turned to Thaletas. He stood close, too close. He could feel the general’s breath on his face.  
‘Nobody loses their helmet’, Alexios said in a shaky voice. He felt his heart pounding in his ears.  
‘I know’, Thaletas whispered. Then he suddenly turned around and put distance between them. He cleared his throat. ‘If you ask me, he left his helmet behind on purpose.’  
Alexios agreed. ‘It would match the incident at the temple.’  
‘But why?’ Thaletas asked rubbing his temple. ‘Burnt crops, raided ships, stealing from the temple, and now an attempted murder. It doesn’t make any sense.’  
‘Unless it is to get my attention.’ Alexios said and leaned against the desk.  
Thaletas rolled his eyes. ‘Because the world revolves around you.’  
‘How much do you know about the Cult?’ Alexios asked calmly.  
Thaletas straightened up and crossed his hands behind his back. ‘Kyra told me, it is a group of malakes you’re chasing through the Greek world. She also told me that her father belonged to them.’  
‘That’s right.’ Alexios said and crossed his arms. ‘Did she tell you why I am after them?’  
Thaletas nodded. ‘They are stirring up the war to profit from both sides.’  
‘True’, Alexios confirmed. ‘But I meant my personal reasons.’  
‘Of course you’re not acting out of selflessness. Tell me.’ Thaletas demanded and stared at Alexios. ‘And let it be a good reason.’  
‘You know the story of how I was thrown off Mount Taygetos?’ Alexios asked and tried to sound casual.  
‘I do.’ Thaletas answered. ‘I did my research.’  
‘Good.’ Alexios took a deep breath. ‘The prophecy that led to this was a plot from that Cult. They destroyed my family on purpose and kidnapped my sister – who, by the way, survived – and turned her into a monster, a weapon they used. But now my family is finally united and I use my free time to kill the rest of those bastards. That’s the short version.’  
‘So that’s why you wouldn’t come with me to Sparta back then.’ Thaletas said, his voice suddenly soft. ‘I had no idea.’  
Alexios flinched. That was not what he was getting at with the story. He smiled helplessly as Thaletas walked towards him.  
‘It was the only reason.’ Alexios’ voice rasped, his throat felt dry.  
Thaletas cupped his face and leaned his forehead against Alexios’.   
‘Why didn’t you tell me?’ He whispered, his eyes closed. ‘I thought having business to do was just an excuse to not hurt me. I thought I had been just a pastime for you.’  
‘Thaletas…’ Alexios’ voice failed.  
Suddenly Thaletas let go of him and began to walk up and down the room.  
‘No’, he said and shook his head. ‘That was over three years ago.’  
‘Thal–’  
‘I have moved on. We have moved on.’ Thaletas rubbed his temple. ‘I have Althea. I am happy with Althea. I am. I’m as happy as a man can be.’  
He stared at Alexios with a wild expression. And the mercenary stared back in confusion.  
‘You too, Alexios. You’ve moved on, too.’ Thaletas continued his walking. ‘You have your life, I have mine. And that’s a good thing. That’s probably for the best. That is how it should be.’  
He turned around, stormed towards Alexios and pulled him without warning into a passionate kiss. And before Alexios even had the chance to realize what was happening, Thaletas pushed away from him and started walking up and down again.  
Then he stopped and didn’t move for a moment. Alexios didn’t dare to breathe.  
‘Get out of here!‘ He snapped at the still confused Alexios, his eyes suddenly filled with anger and pain. ‘Get off this damned island. And you better not let me ever see your pretty face again. You can keep my chiton as a trophy.’  
Alexios startled. His muscles tensed, ready to pull the dagger if needed.  
‘Go!’ Thaletas nearly shouted and pointed towards the window. ‘Get lost forever! I am not one of your many whores!’  
Alexios felt tears rising in him. He wanted to say something, he wanted to clear up the misunderstanding he created the day before. He wanted to kiss Thaletas and tell him how much he loved him. But he couldn’t.   
Instead, he turned around and climbed out of the window as fast as he could. And before he even got outside, he heard Thaletas slump down on the floor.   
Everything in him wanted to turn around again, wanted to hold the man in his arms and tell him that everything was fine. But he knew that if he turned back, one of them would lose his life. And Alexios was a skilled assassin, used to fighting in narrow rooms.  
He took the fastest route out of the fort. He didn’t care that the guards saw him. He ran as fast as he could. He ignored the arrows that almost hit him. And he ignored the tears that clouded his vision.  
He ran without knowing which direction. Past the people he met on the road and past the wolves who tried to attack him. He ran up the hill to the Statue of Artemis Agrotera. And he did not stop until he was attacked by masked men.  
He did not see where they came from, but suddenly he was surrounded. Six cultist guardians, attacking him on the street during the day. Alexios felt his senses sharpen and the adrenaline gave his body strength. He did not fight, but his body acted on its own. Every blow, every sting, sat. One by one died by the spear of Eagle Bearer. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry it took so long this time. Work kept me busier than I liked. I hope it’ll get better again in the future.


	9. Old friends

Kyra pulled her dagger when Alexios entered her study.  
‘What happened?’ She asked in a harsh voice. Her eyes wandered over the bloodstained body of the mercenary. ‘Whose is that?’  
Alexios raised his hands defensively.  
‘Don’t worry, it’s not his.’ He said. ‘Cultist guardians attacked me.’  
‘At the Fort?’ She asked back, looking at him suspiciously.  
‘At the Statue of Artemis Agrotera.‘ Alexios answered. ‘You should send someone to get rid of the bodies. They might scare children playing there. I’ve not been very gentle with those malákes.’ He tried to grin but failed at the attempt. Then he shook his head. ‘Why are you being so suspicious?’  
‘Dunno.’ Kyra shrugged. ‘Maybe because it's only been a day since you two last almost beat yourselves to death. And that was before you had a chance to act like a complete idiot.’  
‘What do you mean?’ Alexios crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow.  
‘I have my sources everywhere.’ She said with an innocent grin. ‘And besides, faking relationships is childish and chickenshit.’  
Alexios tugged his hair and let out a sigh.  
‘Thanks for the advice’, he said and leaned against the door. ‘This morning wasn't shitty enough so far.’  
Kyra walked towards Alexios and put a hand on his shoulder. Her look was soft, almost full of compassion, as he noticed with surprise.  
‘What happened to you, Eagle Bearer?’ She asked and looked deep into his eyes. ‘You have changed since you were last here on these islands.’  
‘Have I?’ Alexios asked. He still felt exactly like the man who had left the island over three years ago. Lost and broken, his heart shattered into a thousand pieces.  
‘Don’t act like that.’ She said. ‘Even when you joke with me, the grin that made me want to rip your clothes off is missing. Instead, I want to take you in my arms and tell you everything’s gonna be okay.’  
She gently brushed a strand of hair from his face.  
‘Being pregnant has made you soft.’ Alexios shook his head smiling. Then he stopped. ‘You wanted to rip my clothes off?’  
Kyra broke out into a burst of loud laughter. ‘The Spartan was not your only option.’  
‘Oh.’ Alexios blushed and joined in her laughter. For a short moment, he had the feeling that everything would fall off him. As if he was the young man he had been when he first set foot on the islands. Free and untroubled and unaware of how much love could hurt.  
‘Nevertheless, I was an idiot back then.’ He finally said. ‘An egoist who didn’t give a shit about your feelings.’  
‘That is true’, Kyra said and ran her hand over her belly. ‘Still, there was something good about it.’  
‘When do I get to meet him?’ Alexios asked with a gentle smile. He was glad that everything was settled between both of them. When he met her then, she had been so unsympathetic, determining and bossy to him. Who would have thought that one day she would become something sort of a friend to him?  
Kyra closed her eyes and took a deep breath. ‘Come to the new hospital this afternoon. But promise you won’t sleep with him.’  
‘You make me curious.’ Alexios could not help but grin naughtily. ‘You know, we have very similar taste in men.’  
In a split second, Kyra had pulled her dagger and held it to Alexios’ throat. But her eyes laughed. ‘Don’t you dare!’  
She put the dagger away again and went back towards her desk.  
‘That maláka who tried to assassinate Thaletas did belong to your Cult, right?’ She asked and was all business again.  
‘Technically, it’s not _my_ Cult, but yes. Probably a mere guardian.’ Alexios said and focused on why he went to Mykonos.  
‘They’re getting more active.’ Kyra thought out loud. ‘An assassination attempt, an attack in an open street in quick succession, and last night a priest was attacked in the Grand Temple of Apollo.’  
‘An attack on Delos?’ Alexios asked in disbelief.  
‘That is what I heard.’ Kyra said and turned towards Alexios. ‘I thought you could talk to the other priests at the temple and ask for more information.’  
‘What about the one who got attacked?’ He frowned.   
‘He got injured.’ Kyra said. ‘My husband should be treating his wounds right now.’  
‘So I will question him later.‘ Alexios nodded.  
Then he went and stood right next to Kyra at the desk.  
‘Who on this island would profit from all this?’ He asked.  
Kyra shook her head. ‘Nobody.’  
Alexios sighed. ‘Then it _is_ to get my attention.’  
‘I thought so, too.’ Kyra admitted. ‘Only Athens might profit from weakening us, but they would never threaten the priests. Be it on Delos nor on Mykonos.’  
‘Who might have enough resources or reputation to be a suspect?’ Alexios asked.  
‘Quite a few.’ Kyra said. ‘The governor, of course. Both of the Spartan generals. Three of my men. Then there are two very influential merchants. And of course me.’  
‘Are you a Cultist?’ Alexios asked dryly.  
‘It runs in the family.’ Kyra said equally dryly and shrugged her shoulders before she began to grin.  
Alexios shook his head and laughed in a low voice. ‘I also think Herodianos and Thaletas are unlikely.’  
‘But they could be.’ Kyra said.  
‘I know.’ He nudged her shoulder. ‘I didn’t say I wasn’t keeping an eye on the three of you.’  
‘I think your eyes are exclusively on Thaletas.’ Kyra said with a grin.  
Alexios huffed. ‘After _this_ morning?’  
‘Was it _really_ that bad?’ She asked.  
‘Worse.’ Alexios’ mood darkened.  
‘He can be very extreme at times when he has set his mind on something.’ Kyra put one hand on Alexios’ shoulder. ‘So I’ll see you at the infirmary this afternoon?’  
Alexios nodded and tried to repress the thoughts of the general's outburst of emotion less than two hours ago. ‘Yes. Chaíre.’

Before Alexios went to the harbor to pay a fisherman for the crossing to Delos, he made a stopover at the beach. He crouched down and carefully washed the blood from his armor and skin. The red color of the chiton proved to be practical because the bloodstains were hardly visible on it. That made him grin softly. These Spartans were truly prepared for anything that involved fighting or war.  
He let the water run down his palms and watched it run through his fingers back into the sea. Then he drew it again and brought it to his face. Once, twice, three times. The cool wetness on his skin did him good and calmed him down, but at the same time he felt the boulder on his heart getting heavier and heavier. He had known that it was a mistake to return to the islands, that it would hurt him. But he had not expected to see how broken Thaletas was. It was worse than anything he had ever experienced.  
‘I was afraid to see him happy.’ He whispered to Ikaros, who landed on his left forearm, and stroked the eagle’s head. ‘But this morning...’  
He took a deep breath in and out. His whole body seemed to tremble and his heartbeat drowned out the sounds of the island.   
‘I have always been strong.’ He went on and Ikaros nibbled Alexios’ hand gently. ‘When my father threw me from the mountain, I was strong. When Phoibe died, I was strong. There was nothing I could do, but I was strong. But now...’ He paused. ‘Ikaros, I feel so weak. So helpless and lonely. ... I feel empty.’  
The eagle shrieked softly and began to nibble at Alexios’ ear.  
‘I know you are always there for me.’ He smiled softly at the bird. ‘What would I be without you?’  
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. There was something comforting about the eagle’s presence. It gave him strength.  
‘We must go on, my friend’, he said in a soft voice and raised his arm. Ikaros rose into the air. ‘We always have to go on.’

The Sanctuary of Apollo was as peaceful as ever. The flowers bloomed, the birds sang and the people were calm and friendly with one another. It was like a taste of Elysium.  
Here it was possible to forget the war and the enmities.  
Alexios approached the priest who stood at the entrance of the Grand Temple of Apollo.  
‘Make no trouble, mercenary.’ Said the priest when he saw the Eagle Bearer. ‘Delos is a place of peace.’  
Alexios sighed. Never did the people seemed to welcome his arrival.  
‘In fact, I came here because I heard _someone else_ was causing trouble.’ He said, trying to smile as trustfully as possible.  
‘Did Kyra send you?’ The priest asked.  
‘My answer depends on what will give me answers to my questions.’ Alexios crossed his arms and did not think how intimidating this pose was on him. It was simply a habit he unconsciously developed.  
The priest swallowed and looked nervously at the mercenary. ‘Kyra has brought peace back to Mykonos. They say a demigod with an eagle helped her.’  
Alexios cleared his throat. He was always a bit embarrassed when he was called that. If one asked him, he was just skilled and had an incredible amount of luck. ‘Well, I have an eagle.’  
‘Then you are welcome.’ The priest nodded and seemed to relax a little. ‘What questions shall I answer?’  
‘I heard that last night one of the priests was attacked. What can you tell me about this?’ The question was direct, but Alexios had no patience for pleasantries.  
The priest looked around for a moment, moved closer to Alexios and lowered his voice.  
‘I was there when it happened, Eagle Bearer.’ He whispered. ‘I was just checking the lamps at the temple entrance when they came. There were three men. Their faces were masked and they wore purple sashes. They came out of the darkness and forced me inside the temple. They threatened me to keep quiet or they would set the temple on fire.’  
‘What did they want from you?’ Asked Alexios.  
‘I do not know.’ The priest answered, shaking his head. ‘Timotheos, he is a young and impulsive priest, suddenly came into the temple, armed with a broom, and tried to drive them away. One of them turned around and plunged his sword into his belly. Then they disappeared.’  
‘They just disappeared?’ Alexios asked, scratching his head.  
‘Yes’, the priest nodded quickly, then he faltered. ‘Oh, they told me to give a message to Eagle Bearer. They said _“The Eagle Bearer must not leave the Silver Islands, tell him that. If he does, we will kill a priest every night and when the priests are dead, we will kill the children and then the people. Until he comes back.”_ ’ The priest swallowed. ‘I almost forgot about it. All I can think of is Timotheos. Courage should not be punished.’  
‘Malákes!’ Alexios cursed. The Cult never intended to harm the priests. They only wanted to threaten him. ‘I'm sorry about what happened. But be sure I will not leave these islands until I have killed every last one of these assholes.’  
‘Thank you’, said the priest, visibly relieved. ‘But please respect the laws of Delos.’  
Alexios snorted in reply and the priest didn’t look too convinced. ‘Did you notice anything else? Any detail that might direct me to their leader?’  
‘Let me think for a moment.’ Said the priest. ‘Yes … there is one detail.’  
Alexios raised one eyebrow.  
‘The way they spoke.’ The priest went on. ‘I think it was the Doric dialect.’  
‘Are you sure?’ Alexios asked.  
‘As sure as the peace on Delos.’ Said the priest.  
‘Let us hope the peace remains.’ Said Alexios, nodding to the priest. ‘Cháris.’  
He turned around and left the temple. 

The infirmary was located southeast of the Temple of Artemis and was undoubtedly still under construction. Up to now there were only a few small buildings, which were surrounded by a few tents. The whole area was surrounded by an improvised fence, which was probably meant to keep the wolves away.  
Alexios went to the entrance where a young woman washed bandages. She looked up and asked if the mercenary needed medical help, which he denied. He asked about the priest who must have been brought that night. The young woman pointed to an area of the infirmary that was shielded from the rest.  
‘He’s badly injured’, she said. ‘It is likely he is not yet conscious.’  
‘But he’s alive?’ Alexios asked.  
The woman nodded. ‘The doctor was able to stop his bleeding. If the wound does not become infected and the fever stays away, he will live.’  
‘Let us pray that Apollo protects his servants.’ Alexios replied, saying goodbye.  
He walked past the tents where some men and women were lying slightly injured and sick. The loud moaning and wailing was a clear sign that they were doing well according to the circumstances and that they would soon be able to return to their normal daily lives, Hippokrates had explained to him some years ago.  
He shook his head. If the pain was bearable, you would grit your teeth and bear it. And if it became unbearable, you would do the same, to not weaken your comrades’ morale. That’s how his father had taught him since he was a little boy who was just old enough to crawl.  
Carefully he lifted aside the cloth that shielded the seriously injured from the whining patients and entered the part of the infirmary where the priest had to be. Here it was suddenly much quieter and the mood was depressed. Men and women scurried along between the niches where the patients were lying, exchanging water or bringing fresh bandages and ointments.  
At one of the niches, his gaze remained fixed and he instinctively stopped. On the mat laid an unconscious man with a damp cloth spread across his forehead. Next to him knelt a woman and held his hand. Alexios was as if he had seen her before.   
He frowned and looked at her more closely. It was the woman he had seen at the temple with Thaletas – his sister. Now that he knew, the resemblance was unmistakable. They shared the same dark curls, the same straight nose, and both had freckles that gave their otherwise hard faces a soft touch. Alexios suspected that they also shared the same irresistible laugh.  
Suddenly, he heard a baby starting to whimper. He took his eyes off the woman and saw that she was not alone.   
Another woman, probably a few years younger, stood in a corner and held the boy, whom he now knew was Thaleta’s nephew. She rocked the baby in her arms and tried to calm it down. Her light-brown curls kept getting caught in the little one’s hands and she struggled to keep him from pulling. The look on her face was friendly, almost maternal and gentle. A smile played around her lips and reached up to her eyes. Next to her stood the ghost of his past who seemed to haunt him since his arrival on the island and looked directly at Alexios with a straight face.  
When Alexios looked into his eyes, he put his arm around the woman’s waist and pulled her closer to him, but his gaze did not separate from the mercenary.   
Althea, if he remembered her name correctly, raised her eyes because of the sudden touch and followed Thaletas gaze towards Alexios. Then she looked back at the man at her side and back again at Alexios.  
She pulled her eyebrows together and the smile on her face disappeared.  
Alexios freed himself from his stare, quickly looked in another direction and walked on as fast as he could.  
In the back niche, he found Kyra to his surprise, leaning over an unconscious man and feeling his forehead.   
When she heard the mercenary’s footsteps, she looked up and smiled.  
‘Alexios’, she said softly. ‘Come sit with me.’  
Alexios followed her request and sat down next to her.  
‘Is that the priest?’ He asked.  
Kyra nodded. ‘His condition is stable, but I’m afraid you will not be able to question him.’  
The priest was indeed still very young. Twenty years at the most when Alexios had to guess.  
His look wandered to the bandage on the belly of the young man.  
‘That looks serious.’ He said softly, pointing to the textile which turned slightly red.  
‘He was lucky the help came so quickly.’ Kyra replied. ‘My husband was able to stop the worst of the bleeding, but the bandages must be changed regularly to keep the wound clean.’  
‘This is all my fault’, whispered Alexios.   
Kyra looked at him and raised one eyebrow.  
‘Whoever is behind these incidents is after me.’ He said. ‘If I wouldn’t be, this wouldn’t have happened.’  
A strong hand was placed on his shoulder and a soft voice behind him spoke: ‘Sometimes we have no control over what happens, Alexios.’  
For a brief moment, the mercenary’s heart seemed to stop, and when he turned around, he looked into the friendly brown eyes of an old friend.  
‘Lykaon’, he said, smiling. ‘What are you doing here?’  
‘Now?’ asked the doctor. ‘Now I’m changing my patient’s bandages.’  
Alexios’ smile widened to a broad grin. ‘I mean on Mykonos. Shouldn’t you be in Phokis, keeping your student from gambling?’  
‘Ah, you’ve met Lysander.’ Said the doctor and started his work. Kyra assisted him as if she had done it a thousand times before. ‘When you wrote to me asking if I knew of a capable doctor who was willing to come to Mykonos, I entrusted him with my work and left as soon as I could.’  
‘I did not mean it that way’, Alexios said and chuckled.  
‘I know.’ Lykaon put the dirty bandage aside and cleaned the wound. ‘But your letter arrived at the right time. My grandmother had just passed away and my sister followed her husband to Arkadia. It was time for something new. Fortunately, I had Lysander to whom I could entrust the responsibility for my patients.’  
‘They are lucky he has his mother, who hired a friendly mercenary to rescue him from an unfortunate situation.’ Alexios laughed. ‘Let us hope he has learned from this.’  
Lykaon joined in the laughter and took the clean bandage that Kyra handed him. ‘I knew there was nothing to worry about.’  
Alexios shook his head. He had seriously missed this man.  
Kyra pushed her elbow into Alexios’ ribs.  
‘Seems like you get along really well with my husband.’ She said, grinning all over her face.  
Alexios was puzzled and blinked in surprise. ‘Your husband?’ He looked first at Kyra, then at Lykaon, who smiled at him gently, and then back at Kyra again. ‘You and Lykaon? Are you serious?’  
Kyra caressed her pregnant belly. ‘It is like you told me. We have a similar taste in men. But I hope you keep your hands to yourself this time.’  
Alexios felt himself turning red like the chiton he was wearing and looked nervously at the doctor, who was only laughing softly.  
‘She knows. We don’t have any secrets from each other.’ He said, washing his hands in the bowl of water.  
‘When he arrived on the island, I really had no idea what to talk to him about. So he told me about your time in Phokis because he thought it would interest me since we both know you.’ Said Kyra, looking affectionately at Lykaon. ‘I wanted to chase him off the island for it. But I have to say, with the story of how you fled in mortal terror from the goat, he got me. He’s a very good storyteller and I wouldn’t want to miss him now.’  
‘Gods, how many years has it been?’ Asked Alexios and laughed, half embarrassed, half amused by the thought of said day.  
‘Let’s have dinner and refresh our memories.’ Lycaon said, slapping the mercenary’s shoulder amicably. ‘The dinner table at home is a better place for that than an infirmary.’  
Kyra and Alexios both agreed with him and they got up to leave. They quickly tidied up the materials and took one last look at the patients before heading to the villa.  
‘By the way’, Alexios said when they left the infirmary, ‘I did not flee the goat in mortal fear. It just caught me by surprise.’


	10. Pigheads

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Drinking games with the word "sleep" only at your own risk. The first paragraph might make you drunk.

To Alexios’ misfortune, the happy moments never lasted long.   
After he had spent the whole evening learning the romantic story of Kyra and Lykaon, bringing his own stories to the best and being reminded of one or two embarrassing moments in Phokis, the doctor sent all three of them to bed with a lecture about the importance of sleep.  
Alexios had always found it difficult to fall asleep and had spent many nights sleepless, which is why he hated being torn from his hard-won sleep. Especially when it happened because someone was sneaking up on him to kill him.  
It did not surprise him much that it was a cultist guardian. Gradually these guys began to annoy him.   
With a routine thrust of his spear and the mood of a sleep-deprived mercenary, he ended the life of his attacker. Then he laid the body on the floor next to the bed before he tried to find his way back to sleep.  
Unfortunately, sleep did not return.  
Alexios wanted to blame it on the corpse next to him but his thoughts were mainly responsible for it.  
Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Thaletas’ face in front of him. He saw the smile he had fallen in love with, which, without warning, turned into a grimace distorted by pain. He felt the kiss on his lips that was so passionate and at the same time so desperate. And he saw the empty eyes that had been staring at him in the infirmary.  
He rolled back and forth under his blanket before falling into a restless sleep just before sunrise.  
Not an hour later he woke up bathed in sweat. Of course, he had dreamed of Thaletas. But in his dream, he turned out to be the damned Cultist and Alexios had to ram his spear through his throat, after he told him that everything that happened three years ago was a plot to break the mercenary and after he told him that someone like Alexios doesn‘t deserve to be loved and tried to kill him.  
According to the light that entered the room through the window, it wasn’t any longer worth trying to sleep, so he stood up and stretched extensively. Then he put on the clothes and armor he had carelessly thrown next to the bed the evening before and left the chamber. He told the guard at the door briefly that someone had to take care of the dead body, before sneaking into the kitchen to have an apple for breakfast.  
The servant who was in the kitchen wished him good morning, but he only grunted in reply.  
‘You are definitely not a morning person.’ Greeted Kyra, who was sitting at the table with a handful of grapes and a scroll.  
‘I haven’t been sleeping well,’ Alexios said and bit into the apple. The fruit juice ran down his chin and he enjoyed the sweetness on his tongue that took away the bitterness of the night.  
‘You eat like a toddler,’ Kyra scolded him and rolled her eyes as the mercenary wiped the sticky hands on his chiton clean.  
Alexios huffed then grinned cheekily. ‘You already sound like a mother.’  
He headed for the door. There, he turned around.  
‘I am happy for you,’ he said friendly and meant it that way. ‘You are a good match, you and Lykaon.’

Alexios left the villa and looked around. What should he do now? He knew for sure that the Cultist was after him alone and that he or she didn’t want him to leave the Silver Islands. He also knew the Cultist’s men spoke Doric. That said, they must have come from somewhere between Megaris and Messara. All in this area was currently under Spartan rule as far as he knew. That narrowed the suspects down if this was not an attempt to mislead Alexios.  
He sighed. Why did the person whose help he now needed most have to be the person with whom he had the most complicated relationship?  
‘Have you put down roots?’ A rough but gentle voice behind him asked.  
Alexios smiled and turned around. ‘I still can’t get used to you living here now.’  
‘You will,’ Lykaon said. ‘I can expect to see more of you in the next few years?’  
‘I’m afraid your wife might object to _that_.’ Alexios replied, laughing. ‘But, yes, I will be a good friend and visit you more often. I can’t miss the chance to see you as a father.’  
‘Do you think I will fail?’ Asked Lykaon.  
‘You will certainly spoil your child.’ Said Alexios and put his arm around his friend’s shoulder. ’It will become as softhearted as you and in the end, it can only become a physician.’  
‘Then we can be happy that there is a bold and fearless mother around.’ Lykaon chuckled. ‘Just imagine two doctors in the family.’  
‘The shame would be unbearable.’ Alexios grinned and both men shared a laugh.  
Together, they walked down the street that went around the Chora towards the infirmary when Alexios stopped at the crossing that led to Miltiades Fort.  
‘I have to go in there and meet someone.’ Alexios said, but he didn’t move.  
Lykaon frowned as he noticed Alexios’ hesitation.  
‘Do you have an appointment or would you like to accompany me to the hospital first? If the priest survived the night, the chances of his recovery are very good. He might be conscious if you are lucky.’ He said. ‘Besides, I have noticed some wounds on you that I would like to take a closer look at.’  
‘I am all right.’ Alexios sighed. ‘Nothing I won’t survive. A long time ago, a friend of mine taught me how to take care of my wounds.’  
‘Then either he wasn't much of a teacher or you weren't listening as you always do.’ Lykaon said. ‘You would have fewer scars if you took more care of yourself and saw a doctor now and then.’  
‘You've always been an excellent teacher.’ Alexios grinned at his friend. ‘But I am a mercenary. The more dangerous the scars look, the higher my fee can be.’  
‘And I always thought people paid you for the quality of your work, not for your looks,’ Lykaon said innocently.  
That made Alexios laugh. ‘I'm not always sure about that.’ Then he sighed again. ‘All right, I’ll go with you. But just to make my doctor happy and not to delay the inevitable.’  
The two men followed the path past the statue of Artemins towards the hospital.   
‘Do you really think I can do this?’ Lykaon suddenly asked.  
Alexios looked at his friend. ‘What do you mean?’  
‘Raise a child,’ Lykaon replied. ‘And be a good father.’  
‘I can’t imagine anyone better for the job.’ Alexios put his arm around the doctor's shoulders again. ‘You are patient, sensitive, a great listener and you are very good with children. I’ve always admired that about you.’  
‘Thank you. Hearing that from you means a lot to me.’ Said the doctor, and blushed. ‘Say, Alexios, would you like to have children someday?’  
Alexios pulled his arm back again and shrugged. ‘I don’t know. Maybe? I have never really thought about it. Having a family isn’t easy in my line of work. And … I don’t know.’ He shook his head. ‘My life is complicated right now.’  
‘Your life has always been complicated, Alexios. Have you never thought about settling down?’ Lykaon asked. ‘How much longer do you want to do this?’  
‘Where and with whom should I settle down? I don’t belong anywhere. Not to my family in Sparta and not to … someone else.’ Alexios tried to smile. ‘Nevermind. I am a misthios and one day, a bounty too high will cost me my life. Someone like me doesn’t grow old anyway.’  
‘That sounds depressing, Alexios.’ Said Lykaon. ‘I hope you know that.’  
‘I’m sorry. I’ve had some really bad days.’ Alexios sighed. ‘I don't know what to think or feel at the moment. It is like – Get down!’  
Not a second too late Alexios pushed Lykaon aside and parried the blade that had suddenly appeared. Those bloody malákes didn’t seem to allow him a second of peace anymore. He blocked a second blow, pulled the attacker close and broke his neck with a skilled grip. Too late he noticed the other attacker. A stabbing pain ran through him, as cold metal cut his right arm from elbow to shoulder. He gritted his teeth and inhaled sharply. Then he turned around, rammed his spear into the neck of the attacker with his left hand, and turned the blade with a quick movement of his wrists. The man tore his eyes open, then dropped lifeless to the ground. Alexios looked around to see if there were other attackers nearby but only discovered one who had already been killed by Ikaros.  
He put his weapons away and sprinted to Lykaon who had hidden behind a nearby rock.  
‘Is everything all right?’ He asked his friend. ‘Are you hurt?’  
Lykaon shook his head. ‘I am fine. Remind me never to mess with you or your bird.’  
Alexios shrugged and grimaced. The cut hurt more than he thought it would. ‘Do you believe me now that my work is dangerous?’  
‘I never doubted it,’ the doctor said, looking at Alexios with concern. ‘Let’s go to the infirmary, so I can treat your wound.’  
Quickly they made the rest of the way and Lykaon guided Alexios to one of the mats. He pointed the mercenary to sit down while he went to gather everything he needed to clean the wound. It was quiet this early in the morning. Most of the patients were still asleep and only the night shift was there to check on them from time to time.  
Lykaon quickly returned accompanied by a student who informed him about the events of the last night. A few patients had woken up in pain, but he would have taken care of them directly and they would have gone back to sleep. But they had lost none and the priest had not developed a fever. He was still unconscious, but he would live.  
Lykaon listened carefully to the student and asked some questions while he treated Alexios’ wound. It hurt much more than Alexios expected but he tried not to let it show.  
After the student had finished his report, Lykaon sent him away with some new instructions while he bandaged Alexios’ arm carefully.  
‘You were lucky,’ he said to Alexios. ‘The cut is harmless, though painful.’  
‘It is just a scratch. Doesn’t hurt anymore.’ Alexios tried to look convincing, but Lykaon only lifted one eyebrow.  
‘Alexios, I have eyes.’ He said. ‘You are in pain, and it will probably last at least all day, maybe even until the day after tomorrow, if you want to believe a doctor’s opinion.’  
‘I don’t need that right now.’ Alexios muttered, receiving only a shake of the head in return. Suddenly, he began to yawn.  
‘When was the last time you slept?’ The doctor asked and added strictly, ‘I mean longer than two hours at a time.’  
Alexios shrugged. ‘The night before I went ashore. Since then I’ve been busy or been attacked.’  
‘You should sleep.’ Lykaon sighed. ‘If you don’t sleep, your reflexes will slow down.’  
‘I know.’ Alexios rolled his eyes. ‘I’ll listen to you as soon as I finish my work here.’  
Lykaon just shook his head but said nothing more. He knew this stubborn man too well and he had married someone no less stubborn. Instead, he insisted that the mercenary undressed so that he could take care of the other wounds. Alexios tried to object, but soon he felt the soft hands of his friend on him, who was checking cuts and applying ointments to his body.  
‘Are those honestly all from fights and raids?’ Lykaon asked.  
Alexios closed his eyes and tried not to blush. He had totally forgotten about the scratches and bite marks from the night on Delos.  
‘Would you believe me if I told you so?’ Embarrassed, he opened one eye and looked at Lykaon, who was chuckling.

When he was finally allowed to put his clothes back on, Alexios said goodbye. He couldn’t put it off any longer and he didn’t want to. He just wanted to get this over with. It was just a simple conversation between a mercenary and a general, nothing to be afraid of. Lykaon provided him with a few encouraging sentences and some ointment before he finally made his way to Fort.  
He was not far from the infirmary when he saw the young woman he had seen the day at Thaleta’s side walking towards the direction the came from. Her face seemed friendly, with laugh lines around her eyes, but he could hardly read the look she gave him when she noticed him. It was definitely not friendly, but not malicious either. Much more it seemed as if she had to process what she was seeing.  
He politely greeted her and walked past her when she suddenly turned around and grabbed him by the arm.  
‘Do you have a moment to spare for me, mercenary?’ Althea asked, and seemed to be as surprised as he was that she had addressed him.  
Alexios frowned but nodded. Silently he followed her to the Statue of Artemis, curious what she wanted from him.  
When they arrived, she sat down on one of the rocks and signaled Alexios to sit next to her. Nervously, she played with her fingers and did not look at him.  
‘You seem to know Thaletas,’ she said with a lowered look.  
‘I met him some years ago,’ Alexios replied, his eyes locked at the statue in front of him. He felt strange sitting next to the woman Thaletas loved.  
Althea looked up and watched the mercenary with great intensity. He could feel her gaze burn into his skin. Finally, she said: ‘It is you, isn’t it?’  
Alexios just raised a brow.  
‘I always thought it was a woman.’ She spoke more to herself than to him. ‘I knew he was with Kyra back then. And I also knew that he had lost his heart to someone else. But I never would’ve guessed it was a man.’  
Alexios blinked, his muscles tense. He didn‘t know what to say.   
Suddenly she started chuckling and shook her head like she was processing what she was saying.   
‘Imagine his sister knew it was you.’ She said. ‘Imagine she knew that her honorable little brother was so … Non-Spartan. Losing his heart to a … a man.’  
She shook her head again and fell silent. Her eyes wandered back to her hands playing with the belt in her lap.  
‘Do you love him?’ She suddenly asked.  
Alexios opened and closed his mouth in perplexity. Like a fish gasping for air.  
She sighed and without waiting for an answer she said in a quiet voice: ‘Of course you do. I saw it in your eyes yesterday, the way you looked at him. You love him a lot, don’t you?’  
Alexios closed his eyes and tried to swallow the lump that had formed in his throat. Why couldn't this bloody Cultist send his men after Alexios when he needed it?  
‘I … do.’ It took him a great effort to bring out the words out loud. ‘But it is one-sided. I am no threat to your relationship.’   
He clenched his fists until his fingernails started digging into his palms.  
‘That is not true,’ she whispered while her voice broke away. A single tear came loose and slowly ran down her cheek. ‘I thought he could love me. We laughed together. I thought he was happy. But I'm not blind. His heart is yours. It has always been yours. I realized that when I saw his face when he heard you were in Mykonos.’  
Alexios looked at her in disbelief.  
‘Don’t misunderstand me. I do not approve.’ She cleared her throat and her voice found its strength again. ‘But I will do what is expected of me. I am Spartan. I will marry him and raise Thaletas’ sons and I will keep his secret from them. And I will smile, even though I know my husband is seeing you behind my back. The grandson of a great king and a general. You are a dishonor to Sparta.’

  
Alexios blinked. He didn’t know how to react. Desperately he searched for words to answer to what he had just heard while the silence between them both became unbearable. But he could think of nothing.  
‘Alexios! Althea!’ A loud voice suddenly called out and Herodianos appeared behind the statue. ‘It’s good to see you two getting along so well. But actually, I was hoping to find General Thaletas with one of you.’  
‘Thaletas?’ Repeated Alexios, grateful for the unexpected interruption. He ran his hand through his hair and breathed out audibly as he detached himself from the rock on which he had been sitting the whole time. ‘Shouldn’t he be at the Fort?’  
‘He might be at the infirmary with his sister.’ Said Althea, who had also got up. She crossed her arms and put some distance between her and Alexios.  
Herodianos shook his head. ‘No one saw him there. He was supposed to meet with me and talk over some plans, but he didn’t show up. His men claim not to have seen him since he wanted to meet you yesterday, Althea.’  
‘He went back to the Fort after we checked on Kittos.’ She frowned and glanced at Alexios. ‘But maybe he did meet up with anyone else.’  
‘Please say you trained together again.’ Herodianos sounded seriously concerned.   
Alexios raised his hands defensively and looked Althea in the eye. ‘I was with Kyra and her husband all night.’  
‘That malákas.’ Herodianos started walking up and down and rubbing his forehead. Then he stopped in front of Alexios. ‘Eagle Bearer, I must speak to you in private.’ He turned to Althea. ‘Do you mind?’ He pointed to the path down the hill.  
Althea looked at him with concern but did not ask questions.  
‘I'll visit Kittos. If you need to talk to me, you’ll find me there.’ She said, leaving the two men.  
‘What is it, Herodianos?’ Asked Alexios when they were alone. ‘You seem troubled.’  
‘General Thaletas came to see me yesterday at noon and asked for my help.’ He put one hand on Alexios’ shoulder. ‘Can I trust you as a Spartan?’  
‘You can,’ Alexios replied and had a bad feeling about what he was going to hear.  
‘He must have told you about some strange happenings lately, right?’ Asked Herodianos.  
Alexios nodded. ‘That is why I am here.’  
‘Good.’ Herodianos cleared his throat. ‘The general visited me yesterday and questioned me about Governor Kinyras. He made some very serious accusations and asked me for my opinion.’  
‘Do you think the governor has anything to do with this?’ Asked Alexios. Thaletas seemed to share his suspicions.  
‘Truthfully spoken? I have no doubt he is the man behind those incidents.’ Herodianos shook his head. ‘But I told him the evidence was insufficient and suggested that he ask for your help. But he wanted to handle it himself.’  
‘That stubborn malákas.’ Alexios cursed. ‘I heard that Kinyras was assigned by Pausanias himself.’  
‘That’s right.’ Said Herodianos. ‘He was one of King Pausanias' closest associates. After his ... passing ... Governor Kinyras kept his post. But there are rumors that he was not pleased to hear about what happened in Sparta.’  
‘Then this man is extremely dangerous.’ Alexios took Herodianos by the shoulders and looked at him with concern. ‘You are sure that Thaletas is nowhere to be found? Not on any beach, not at the ruins, not anywhere else?’  
Herodianos shook his head. ‘I had the men look for him. No one has seen him since last evening.’  
‘And the governor?’ Alexios raised an eyebrow.  
‘Locked himself in his chamber at about the same time.’ Said Herodianos. ‘Says he has urgent business, does not wish to be disturbed.’  
‘I don’t believe he is still inside.’ Alexios said alarmed.   
‘Me neither.’ Agreed Herodianos. ’Whatever he is planning, he is a traitor to Sparta. I want you to find him and stop this man. Let us pray to the gods that General Thaletas is still alive.’  
‘I will find him.’ Alexios frowned and scratched his head. Now he presumably knew who the Cultist was, but had no idea where he might be. ‘Did Thaletas say anything that could help us? Maybe a possible hiding place, a secret warehouse or anything else?’  
Herodianos thought for a moment. ‘He mentioned something he wanted to search for. An old smuggler’s hideout on Delos, a cave or something like that.’  
Alexios grinned. ‘Thank the gods I know _exactly_ where that is.’


	11. The end?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unfortunately, it took me some time to complete this chapter.  
> But in return, it has turned out to be a bit longer than the others. 
> 
> Have fun reading it. I hope you enjoy it. :)
> 
> Yours,  
> Myriath  
> __________________

The payment the fisherman demanded for the crossing to Delos was much too high, but Alexios didn’t feel like negotiating. He just wanted to get to the other island as soon as possible. If Thaletas was in the hands of the Cultist, he had no time to lose.  
The minutes on the small boat seemed to turn into hours and a light headwind slowed down their journey. Every second felt like torture for Alexios and his thoughts started to wander. Where was Thaletas? Was he safe? Was he in the cave Alexios was heading to? Or was the hiding place somewhere else? And what if he didn’t get there in time? Was Thaletas still alive or was he –?  
Alexios shook his head. He shouldn’t let those thoughts come to him. 

When they arrived on the island, Alexios passed the fisherman his complete pouch of drachmae without thinking. There were probably far too many coins in it, but he didn’t care.   
He left the boat as soon as he could and ran. Up the beach and over the hill until he came to the road that led across Delos. He didn’t stop but followed it to the north of the island as fast as he could. Some people shouted after him as he pushed them aside on his way, but he didn’t care. Every second was too precious.  
He almost instinctively ran up the hill to the Archegesion, but a shriek from Ikaros reminded him to take the narrow path leading to the northern beach. Silently Alexios prayed to the gods that the old bear cave was the hiding place he was looking for. It was the only smuggler’s lair he knew of on Delos.  
When he reached the beach, he stopped abruptly and gasped for breath. Alexios ran often, but usually he paced himself. This time he sprinted the whole way as fast as he could. He signaled Ikaros to scout the area, while he tried to calm his pulse. It didn’t take long until two shrieks in close intervals told him what he needed to know: The cave was guarded with two men in front of it.  
He grinned. So this was the right place at last.  
Normally two guards were no problem for Alexios. He could just run towards them and get them out of the way even if they were trained by the Cult. But he did not know how many men were inside the cave and the Cults men were stronger than the average soldier. An open confrontation with a whole group of them would surely be his death.  
Almost silently, he ducked into the bushes on his left and crept along the rocks until he was above the entrance of the cave. Ideally, he would wait for nightfall before he acted, but he didn’t want to lose any time.  
He gave Ikaros a sign and swung himself over the edge of the rock. Carefully he tried to grab hold on the unevenness of the rock and slowly let himself down on the wall, ignoring the pain coming from his right arm. The guards had their eyes fixed on the vast beach so they didn’t notice the figure creeping up from behind.   
Alexios sneaked up on the right guard. With two deft grips, he covered his mouth, pulled him backwards and cut his throat with his spear. The man went down silently, but the stabbing pain from the fast movement let Alexios loudly draw air through his clenched teeth.  
The second guard immediately turned around and drew his sword but Ikaros was faster. The eagle rushed at the huge man and attracted his attention while Alexios let his blades do their job.  
‘Cháris,’ he gasped as he dragged the corpse aside and nodded to Ikaros who rose into the air again.  
Then he crouched down and crept along the wall into the cave, his spear in his left hand, ready to react at any time. If he remembered correctly the cave consisted only of one open area, so he was prepared to be immediately involved in a fight.  
But when he left the narrow tunnel leading into it, all he saw was an abandoned camp. Carefully he sneaked between boxes and amphorae, always watching out for cover, but nothing indicated that Thaletas had been here.  
Alexios was about to turn back when he discovered a narrow gap. He moved closer and slowly pressed his way through. On the other side, a passage awaited him, gently lit by some torches. Pressed as close as possible to the wall, he followed it deeper into the cave. He was careful not to make any noise that could break the silence around him.  
After some time he reached a fork in the passage. Alexios stopped and listened but from no direction could he hear a sound. He decided to follow the left arm first and after a short time the passage opened up to a bigger den. The place was overcrowded with weapon racks and armor, enough to supply several units. And on the back wall, Alexios thought he could detect two cages.  
‘Please be there _and_ alive,’ he whispered under his breath.  
He ducked behind some crates and tried to get a better overview of the area, which wasn’t easy in the dim light of the torches. If he counted correctly, there were three guards. Two lighter soldiers stood next to the cages and talked quietly. A third, much bigger one, sat in Alexios’ immediate vicinity. With his right hand, he picked up some loose stones from the cave floor and carefully threw them one by one towards the sitting guard. The man looked up and took the weapon that lay on the floor next to him before he started to approach him.   
Alexios grinned. They never called for help if they noticed anything suspicious.   
As soon as the man was within his reach, he chased his spear through his throat and pulled him towards him behind the crates. Then Alexios looked at the other two men, who seemed to not notice anything.   
He crept near them and jumped as fast as he could towards the first guard. His dagger slipped off and the man survived badly injured. Immediately, the two guards attacked and Alexios ducked away under the blows of their swords. When he had enough distance, he ran towards them, kicked the severely wounded guard with full force, so that his head hit the cave wall and he went down lifeless. Out of the same movement he thrust his dagger from above into the neck opening of the others chest plate, while he pushed the spear from behind through the neck.  
‘Malákes,’ he cursed and looked around to see if any other guards had noticed the sounds, but no one came.  
After a few moments, he put his weapons into the holders and held his aching upper arm. Why did the most harmless injuries always have to be the most painful?  
Then he turned towards the cages. The first was empty, but from the second a familiar figure was staring at him.  
‘Thaletas!’ Alexios whispered, dashing towards the side of the cage where he spotted the general.  
Thaletas sat slumped down against the bars with his legs bent. His hands were tied behind his back and his mouth gagged with a piece of cloth. His face and arms showed numerous new smaller wounds which indicated fierce resistance.  
‘In Hermes name, what are you doing here?’ Alexios asked and knelt down. He reached through the bars and carefully pulled the dirty cloth down, allowing his thumb to gently brush the man’s cheek. Thaletas immediately took a deep and audible breath.   
‘Alexios!’ Thaletas voice trembled, then he shook his head and cleared his throat. ‘Thanks for coming, but the situation is under control. You are free to go.’  
Alexios only raised one eyebrow.  
‘I mean it.’ Thaletas said and tried to straighten his back. ’I am a general. I can handle this somehow. Leave me alone’  
‘Thaletas, swallow your fucking Spartan pride and tell me what happened!’ Demanded Alexios.  
Thaletas looked at him dismissively, but Alexios remained adamant. Finally, Thaletas blushed, lowered his eyes and whispered, barely audibly. ‘I was caught examining the cave. I … I failed.’  
Alexios carefully reached between the bars, took Thaletas’ face in his hand, and turned it so that he had to look into his eyes.  
‘Spartan generals are made for the phalanx, not for sneaking into caves.’ He said gently. ‘You should have asked me to help you. I earn my drachmae with situations like these.’  
Instead of answering, Thaletas blushed even more and tried to look away.   
Alexios bit his lower lip. Why did that man have to be so bloody handsome? Everything in him wanted to pull him close and kiss him.  
‘Did they hurt you?’ He asked softly and hinted at the wounds.  
Thaletas slowly shook his head. ‘I wish I could say that I was outmatched in battle.’ He sighed and turned even redder. ‘The truth is, I tried to climb down the rock face to sneak past the guards. I slipped. And before I knew it, I was here.’  
‘Stupid Spartan’ Alexios whispered chuckling and leaned closer. He still held Thaletas face in his hand and suddenly realized that he had started brushing his cheek again. ‘They could have killed you.’  
‘Oh, look at that. Nikolaos’ son and one of my generals. Is it cute or disgusting?’ Asked a haughty voice behind Alexios.  
‘Kinyras!’ Alexios grunted and turned around.  
‘Governor Kinyras’ corrected the man. ‘But what do I expect from you? You never knew how to behave. Isn’t that why your father threw you off Mount Taygetos?’  
‘Watch your mouth.’ Alexios hissed and drew his spear.  
‘Or what? Ask Kinyras. ‘Will you slaughter me like you did our king?’  
‘Maybe.’ Alexios’ muscles were tense. Ready to jump into battle any second.  
‘Oh, I almost forgot to thank you.’ Kinyras said calmly and crossed his hands behind his back. ‘I mean, it was a shame to lose such a powerful ally. But on the other hand, this was my chance to take his place in the Cult of Kosmos.’  
Alexios huffed. ‘Glad I could help.’  
‘But I must admit, little Alexios, I would have expected more from the legendary descendant of our great king.’ Said the governor slowly, arrogance in every syllable. ‘I’ve given you so many clues, and yet it was my general who detected me first. Unfortunately, he refuses to join me. Pity I have to kill him. What a waste of talent.’  
Alexios gripped his spear tighter. ‘If you even make a scratch on Thaletas –’  
‘Then what?’ Kinyras laughed. ‘Look at yourself. You're tired and wounded. Just like I planned.’  
Alexios gritted his teeth. He could feel his muscles tense and the adrenaline rushing through his veins. ‘Let. Him. Go.’  
‘Oh, I will let him go. He will go to Hades. And you will follow him. Isn’t that romantic?’ Kinyras snorted contemptuously.   
With a loud scream, Alexios threw himself on the governor, but one of his guards blocked his dagger. The other three immediately drew their weapons while Kinyras calmly picked a spear from the weapon stand behind him.  
Alexios blocked several blows and stabs and dodged as best he could, always trying to protect the cage behind him. He didn't want to risk any of them getting too close to Thaletas.   
The men were well trained and gradually he was pushed with his back towards the cage. When he touched it, he suddenly had an idea. He dropped his weapons and grabbed the bars with his hands. With a powerful jump, he lifted himself into the air and kicked the attacker in front of him with full force. The man stumbled backwards, straight into Kinyras’ spear.   
Alexios let himself fall, picked up his weapons and dashed towards the second attacker. From below, he rammed his spear through the man’s neck straight into his head.  
‘Not bad for a mercenary,’ Kinyras remarked and pounced on Alexios.   
He blocked the attack while he hurled his own spear at one of the remaining soldiers from the same movement. The blade hit its target and the man went down immediately.  
‘I did not survive this long for nothing,’ Alexios called out to the Cultist.  
Suddenly, he felt a blade strike him from behind.  
‘Malákas!’ he cursed and turned swiftly. Before the soldier could step back, Alexios had already grabbed him by the head and broke his neck with a powerful movement.  
He let the dead body sink to the ground and dodged the next thrust of Kinyras spear with a roll. As good as he could, he tried to put distance between himself and the Cultist and looked around. He quickly discovered what he was looking for.   
He grabbed an amphora, hurled it at Kinyras and sprinted past him towards one of the dead soldiers. Then he drew his spear from the neck of the dead man and turned to Kinyras, who still stood with his back to him.  
With a skillful movement, Alexios jumped on the governor and brought him to the ground. He pinned him down with his thighs. With his right hand, he pushed the man’s neck to the ground while he had his spear ready in his left.  
‘It’s over, malákas’. He hissed. ‘You will follow your traitorous king.’  
‘I might die.’ Kinyras said croakily. ‘But you cannot stop the Cult.’  
‘Oh, I will.’ Alexios squeezed harder. ‘Tell me who is the so-called Ghost of Kosmos.’  
‘Never.’ Kinyras tried to spit in Alexios’ face.  
‘Then die.’ With a single firm stroke of his spear, Alexios ended the Cultist’s life. He waited briefly until the corpse‘s last twitching stopped, then he examined its pockets.  
‘Nothing. Fuck.’ Alexios screamed and rammed the spear into the ground in rage.  
‘What’s wrong?’ Thaletas asked and tried to straighten up a bit to see what was happening.  
Alexios looked up, slightly confused. For a short moment, he had completely forgotten about the general.   
‘There is nothing there.’ He said frustrated. ‘Not a single clue. I will never find the head of the Cult.’  
‘I am sure you will.’ Thaletas voice was gentle. ‘Maybe we will find something with his belongings in the Fort.”  
‘We?’ Alexios asked in surprise and turned around to look at Thaletas.  
‘I will help you this time.’ Thaletas said.  
‘The last time you helped me I was afraid you were going to kill me.’ Alexios gruffed. ‘Right after you _kissed_ me.’  
Thaletas sighed. ‘I was … confused. It won’t happen again. Please, Alexios, let me out of this humiliation.’  
’I will.’ Alexios’ voice found its strength again as he stood up. He pulled the spear out of the ground and fastened it again on his back. Then he sank to the ground next to the cage and leaned against the rock wall. ‘But first, we should talk.’  
Thaletas nodded.  
‘I also think we should.’ He smiled nervously at Alexios. ‘But can you free me first, please?’  
‘No,’ Alexios looked him in the eyes and shook his head. ‘I feel this is saver in case you start having mood swings again.’  
Thaletas stared at Alexios with his eyes wide open and said nothing for a moment. Then he swallowed visibly. ‘I hurt you.’  
‘Yes.’ Alexios looked to the ground and drew circles with his fingers. ‘You hurt me a lot.’  
‘I am sorry, Alexios. I was unable to cope with … everything.’ Thaletas began carefully. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. ‘After you sailed away, it took me a long time to get you out of my head. I had finally succeeded and got my life in order when you suddenly appeared here again. You made a mess of my life again. All the feelings I had for you came back in a blink. It was like you weren’t even gone.’  
‘You slept with me and told me afterwards that you are in a relationship.’ Alexios said deadpan. His hand clenched into a fist. ‘ _Afterwards_ , Thaletas.’  
‘I didn’t know when to tell you.’ Thaletas’ voice trembled slightly.  
Alexios lifted his eyes and looked at Thaletas. ‘The moment you told me that you are not a father would have been a good opportunity.’  
‘You are right. I made a mistake.’ Thaletas sighed. ‘But you are not better than me.’  
‘Huh?’ Alexios pulled his brows together.  
Slowly, Thaletas opened his eyes and turned his head. He looked reproachfully at Alexios. ‘You _completely_ hid the fact that you are in a relationship, too. And even worse, you cheat on your woman with Mikythos’ sister. And the gods know with whom else.’  
Alexios tried to say something, but Thaletas went on. ‘You have no idea how much that hurt me. I don’t want to be just one of many.’  
Alexios bit his lower lip and looked Thaletas in the eye with his head lowered. ‘There is something you should know.’  
Thaletas raised his eyebrows expectantly.  
‘I’m not in a relationship.’ He gulped. ‘And I haven’t been. Not for years.’  
Thaletas widened his eyes in disbelief. ‘You are _not_?’  
‘No.’ Alexios shook his head. ‘I was hurt and angry. It was Herodianos who suspected I was with Odessa. I just didn’t correct him. And I already know it was a stupid idea.’  
‘And that other woman?’ Thaletas asked sternly.  
‘Zopheras wanted to help me.’ Said Alexios and tried to smile. ‘She guessed my feelings for you and thought if she made you jealous, you would fight for me.’  
‘Sounds like a girl’s plan.’ Thaletas voice softened.  
‘She’s still very young.’ Alexios said. ‘I told her it was stupid, even though I wasn’t really any better myself.’  
‘You weren’t. But I am … happy. Even if you’re confusing my feelings again.’ Thaletas sighed and leaned his head back against the bars. ‘Will you get me out of here now?’  
‘Of course.’ Alexios got up and went to the cage’s door. He cut the rope that kept it locked with a forceful stroke of his dagger. Then he went inside and knelt beside Thaletas. Carefully he bent over him to untie the knot that bound his wrists on his back.  
Suddenly he felt a hot breath against his ear.  
‘You still fight like a god, Alexios.’ Thaletas whispered.  
‘Thaletas, I –’ Alexios paused. He could hear his own voice tremble and feel his heart beating faster.  
Thaletas purposely breathed against Alexios’ neck, causing the mercenary to groan quietly.   
‘How do you feel about me?’ He asked slowly and was careful that his lips hardly touched Alexios’ skin.  
‘Honestly?’ Alexios’ voice was barely audible. He leaned closer to Thaletas ear and whispered. ‘I still don’t know if I want to kill or to kiss you.’  
’How about you find out?’ Thaletas murmured with a raspy voice into his ear. ’I suggest you try kissing me first. Don‘t be worried, I‘m still tied up. I can do nothing to you.’  
‘That sounds _tempting_.’ Alexios’ hands moved away from the rope and his fingertips followed Thaletas arms. Finally, he laid his hands on the general’s breastplate and kissed his collarbone gently. ‘But that would be wrong. You can’t do that to Althea.’  
‘I’ve already ruined it. One mistake more or less won’t make any difference.’ Thaletas gulped audibly. ‘I want you, Alexios. Here and now.’  
Alexios gave a soft moan. Tenderly, he kissed along the general’s neck, up to his jawbone.  
‘Do you love her?’ He asked between kisses.  
‘She is nice.’ Thaletas replied, tipping his head back to make room for Alexios’ lips. His eyes were closed and his breath grew heavier. ‘She is an old friend. I have nothing against her.’  
Alexios stopped and leaned back. He waited until Thaletas opened his eyes and looked at him earnestly.  
‘I asked you if you love her.’ He repeated in a firm voice.  
Thaletas blinked twice, then he shook his head.  
‘No,’ he whispered. ‘I never did.’  
Alexios breathed a sigh of relief and a grin spread across his face. He believed Thaletas. Slowly he bent forward and his lips brushed affectionately against the generals’.  
Then he hesitated for a moment. He knew that if he kissed Thaletas now, he could not stop anymore.  
‘Alexios,’ whispered Thaletas. And at that moment Alexios stopped thinking and he kissed Thaletas. He felt the desire overtaking him and he could no longer hold back.

‘I think I have found something.’ Thaletas voice came from the other side of the cave. Alexios put back the scroll he was about to open and hurried to the Spartan.   
Thaletas knelt before a chest filled with some ostraka and papyri and read the texts with bewilderment.  
‘What have you gotten yourself into?’ He asked and handed Alexios an ostrakon that said _The Eagle Bearer must be eliminated_.  
Alexios shrugged.  
‘Many people want me dead,’ he said and sat down on the ground close to Thaletas. ‘Anything that might point to their leader?’  
‘Here,’ Thaletas handed him two papyri. ‘It’s not much, but it might help.’  
Alexios quickly skimmed the words. Then he folded the letters and put them in his belt pouch.  
‘Together with the other clues I already have, it is actually a great help.’ He bent over and kissed Thaletas on the cheek. ‘I should have started working with you much earlier.’  
Thaletas blushed slightly and laughed softly. ‘I don’t think I would have been such a great help. You’ve seen how good I am at sneaking into places.’  
‘With you by my side, I don’t need to sneak into anything.’ He pulled teasingly on the Spartan’s braid. ‘We would simply knock at the main gate and take the direct approach.’  
‘That sounds tempting.’ Thaletas winked at Alexios. Then he got up, closed the chest and picked it up. ‘But I’m afraid it’s time to return to the real world.’  
Alexios sighed. ‘Do we really have to?’  
‘I am a general, not a mercenary. Unlike you, I have to write reports.’ Thaletas set out for the cave exit. ‘And believe me, the longer I stay absent, the more uncomfortable it becomes to write those reports.’  
Alexios cursed reluctantly, then got up and followed Thaletas. In his opinion, this man was far too attached to a state that threw its citizens off mountains.  
They left the cave and followed the path that led to the inner island. Thaletas told him how he had fared in Mykonos over the past few years and how he had supported Kyra to grow into her new role. When he mentioned his involvement in planning the new fort on the beach, he was almost bursting with pride. Alexios couldn’t help but smile.  
Finally, they turned to the beach and found a fisherman who was about to bring his morning catch ashore. He greeted Thaletas warmly and immediately offered to take them to the other island. They thankfully accepted the offer and were brought to the landing near Kyra’s villa.  
‘I guess I have to go inside and tell Kyra that I solved her cultist problem once again.’ Alexios said when they reached the path below the gardens.  
‘And I’ll go to my study and take care of the paperwork.‘ Thaletas sighed. ‘If I find anything else that might help you, I will bring it to you.’  
Quickly he looked around and when he was sure that nobody was watching them, he kissed Alexios on the cheek. ‘I’ll see you later.’

Alexios spent the next three days doing some errands for Kyra and supporting Lykaon in the infirmary as best he could. He wasn’t ready to go back to the Adrestia and meet Barnabas and the crew yet. They would certainly notice the wide grin that had been on his face since his return from Delos and would pester him with endless questions. Besides, the sight of them would remind him that he needed to leave soon.   
In the morning, a courier had stood at the door, bringing him a message from Thaletas. The letter was written as concisely as one would expect from a Spartan and listed some clues that pointed to the leader of the Abantis Islands. If he really wanted to destroy the Cult, he had to hurry before the Hydra could grow new heads.  
‘Are you ready?’ Kyra vigorously knocked on Alexios’ door. ‘We’ll wait for you in the courtyard.’  
‘Coming,’ called Alexios and put the comb aside.  
He tied up his top hair and put on Thaletas red chiton which he had washed extra for today. His armor lay unused in the corner since his return from Delos and he thought about putting it on for a moment but decided against it. Instead, he grabbed his belt, strapped it on and went downstairs to join the others.  
‘Someone has dressed up.’ Kyra watched him from top to bottom while Lykaon nodded at him.  
Alexios just shrugged and grinned broadly. Indeed, he had tried hard to look his best, he even had a bath, after all, he would see Thaletas finally again. Since they had said goodbye, the general had entrenched himself in the Fort and hadn’t come out again. It was Herodianos who had managed to get the promise from him to go drinking with them.  
‘Can I ask you a question, Kyra?’ Asked Alexios as they walked through the city towards the tavern.  
‘Sure. Anything.’ Kyra looked at Alexios out of the corner of her eye. ‘Is this about Thaletas?’  
‘No, although I admit he raises a lot of questions.’ Alexios laughed. ‘I was wondering how you managed to send me the letters so precisely. It was almost as if you knew where I was and what I was doing.’  
Kyra came to Alexios’ side and hooked up with him. Gently she put one hand on his upper arm and started to grin. ‘That’s because I knew. You know my eyes and ears are everywhere.’  
Alexios pulled his eyebrows together. ‘But how?’  
‘Barnabas,’ Lykaon said. ‘They write to each other all the time. You should see her face when another letter from him arrives. Like a little girl receiving gifts.’  
‘You shall not betray my secrets,’ scolded Kyra and pulled a pout towards Lykaon.  
‘Barnabas writes letters?’ Asked Alexios in surprise.  
‘Sure.’ Kyra punched him on the upper arm. ‘He has a lot of exciting things to tell. But unfortunately, the commander never listens to him.’  
Herodianos was already waiting for them in front of the tavern. The soldier greeted everyone with a warm handshake and invited them inside. When Alexios wanted to step through the door, he suddenly held him by the shoulder. ‘Thaletas told me to send you to him. He said he needs to talk to you in private.’  
‘Did he say what it is about?’ Asked Alexios, suddenly alarmed.  
Herodianos shrugged. ‘He was very taciturn. But it’s probably about the matter with the governor. He said that you would know where to find him.’ He slapped Alexios on the shoulder. ‘Be quick, I would like to raise a cup with you.’

‘This beach? Seriously Thaletas?’ Alexios waded through the shallow water towards the general who was watching the sea. ‘You know I hate it.’  
‘I know.’ Said Thalatas slowly. ‘And I also know that you’re going to hate me for what I’m about to do.’  
Alexios stopped. He immediately felt a lump form in his throat and his smile faded away. ‘You make me feel anxious, Thaletas.’  
The general turned slowly and looked at Alexios. His eyes were thoughtful and a little sad.   
He tried to smile. ‘You look good.’  
Alexios said nothing but watched with worried eyes as Thaletas approached him.  
‘Whenever I see you, my heart beats faster.’ Said Thaletas and went on until he was standing right in front of Alexios. ‘Ever since you came back to these islands, my thoughts have revolved around you. I can‘t even close my eyes without seeing your pretty smile before me.’  
‘Thaletas …’ Alexios smiled softly and cupped his face. He bent forward to kiss him but Thaletas turned his face away.  
‘No, Alexios. Please don’t.’ Thaletas took a deep breath and made a step back. Then he took Alexios' hands gently in his and looked deep into his eyes. ‘If you kiss me now, I cannot do it. But I have to, and I hate myself for it. Alexios … I have to break your heart.’  
‘Please don’t …’ Alexios’ voice faded and his throat tightened.  
‘Before I met you, I was certain of everything.’ Thaletas still held Alexios’ hands and squeezed them tighter as he spoke. ‘My life followed an exact plan. I would become a general, marry a good woman and have strong sons. I would raise them to make Sparta proud. Being a good Spartan has been my life. I always knew what would come next. I was happy, I thought.’  
He let go of Alexios’ hands and walked a few steps towards the sea.  
‘And then _you_ came into my life,’ he went on. ‘You just appeared out of nowhere, wild and free as an untamed horse, and hit me like you were one of Zeus’ lightning bolts. The passion with which you fight, your unconscious smile when you succeed a difficult parry – you were suddenly everywhere in my head.’  
Thaletas turned around and the expression on his face broke Alexios’ heart. The otherwise always strong and calm general seemed insecure and weak, almost fragile.  
‘You have changed everything, Alexios.’ He said quietly. ‘Everything I was so sure of in my life doesn’t make sense anymore. There is a part of me that wants to throw it all away and stay with you. It hurts so much to part with you.’  
‘Then don’t do it!’ Alexios rushed towards Thaletas and clasped his neck. He felt the tears rising in him and he wanted to turn away from the man he loved but instead, he looked deep into his eyes. ‘Come with me. Stay at my side.’  
‘I can’t.’ Thaletas sounded desperate. ‘I wish I could.’  
‘Then I’ll stay with you and leave everything behind. Here or in Sparta, I want to be yours. I’ll even quit being a mercenary and join the army if that’s what you want. But please, don’t do this to us.’ A few tears escaped his eyes and made their way down Alexios’ cheek. He did not know if he had ever felt so helpless.  
‘How do you expect this to work out?’ Thaletas broke free of Alexios’ grip and went to the water. Gentle waves caressed his feet as he turned his eyes towards Sparta.  
‘Three years ago, that was exactly what you suggested.’ Alexios said desperately.  
‘Exactly, that was three years ago and I was blinded by my feelings for you.’ Thaletas rubbed his temples. ‘Alexios, I’ve had enough time to think. This is Sparta. And you are the son of the Wolf, the grandson of King Leonidas. You and I, _together_ , that’s not possible.  
‘Thaletas ….’ Alexios’ voice was only a whisper.  
‘I have made up my mind, Alexios’. Thaletas cleared his throat and put all his strength into his voice. ‘I have spoken extensively with Althea the last three days and I will accompany her and my sister to Sparta for the winter. Kittos, my sister’s husband and my second-in-command, passed away two days ago. Even though she won't admit it, Kressida will need my support. And I have to leave these islands to think clearly.’  
‘And Althea? Will you keep being with her?’ Alexios feared the answer, but he just had to know.  
Thaletas hesitated. ‘I do not want to make a decision yet.’  
‘I thought so.’ Alexios lowered his eyes. He felt like all emotions had been drained from him.  
‘This time it’s different. Please believe me.’ Thaletas’ voice was trembling.  
‘How? Thaletas, it’s exactly like last time.’ Alexios’ hands clenched into fists. ‘Every time you tell me how much you like me and then you choose the woman.’  
‘I promise you, I won’t kiss her or lie with her until I know what to do.’ Whispered Thaletas. ‘Right now, I can’t even tell you what that is, the way I feel about you. It’s all so … intense. I must know if it’s the same in Sparta, where not everything reminds me of you. If you hate me now, I can understand that.’  
‘I wish I could. Everything would be so much easier.’ Alexios shook his head. He didn’t want to hear all this. ‘I’ll leave in the morning. You know, there’s no time to lose. The Cult is still operating.’ He sighed and tried to contain himself. ’Come now, we should join the others. They are waiting for us.’  
He turned around and walked slowly back towards the city. Oh, how he hated this beach.  
‘Alexios, wait!’  
Thaletas voice sounded faint in his ears. Distant, as if he were a life away. But suddenly he felt a hand grasp his and he turned around.   
‘I’m sorry. I’m terribly sorry.’ Whispered Thaletas. Tears were running down his cheeks, and instantly Alexios wanted to hold him and say everything will be all right. ‘When this cult thing is over, I wouldn’t mind seeing you in Sparta. Maybe there we can find out together what this is between us. And then we figure out where we go from there.’  
Alexios closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. What he was about to do was incredibly stupid. He should forget about that man and move on. Instead, he looked at him lovingly.  
‘It’s obvious to me what it is.’ He sighed. ‘But I’d _love_ to help you. Even though you’re probably gonna hurt me many more times. Bruised, bloody, broken, you seem to mean that. Are you sure you want me to come?’  
‘I am sure.’ Thaletas smiled weakly and looked at Alexios with his head bowed. ‘May I kiss you one last time?’  
Alexios returned the smile. Sad, but full of hope at the same time. Then he cupped Thaletas face and caressed his cheeks tenderly. ‘You may.’


End file.
